Wolff Involves Police In Investigation Of Email Suggesting Hamilton Mistreatment

Saturday, 22 June 2024 at 15:30

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff addressed the email purportedly sent by a team employee that suggested Lewis Hamilton was being sabotaged and in danger.

Following the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix qualifying, Lewis Hamilton stated that he always loses two-tenths of a second between the last practice session and qualifying and that he doesn't expect to beat George Russell this year.

Such a bold statement triggered speculation on social media that the seven-time World Champion might have been sabotaged by his own team, though no real proof has been provided.

Select media and paddock insiders then received an anonymous email from purported to have been sent by a Mercedes team member claiming the German team was indeed mistreating their driver. As revealed by Daily Mail, it said:

"Some of us in the team are unhappy about the systematic sabotaging of Lewis, his car, his tyre strategy, his race strategy and his mental health Lewis is excluded and some underhanded (sic) things are going on that people need to be aware of."

"Ask the questions and the truth will out. It is all in the data and is recorded. With the exception of Bono and those of us who love Lewis, others are on a dangerous course that could ultimately be life-threatening to Lewis, other drivers, even the public. A cold tyre strategy is a death warrant."

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Hamilton suggested after the ninth round of the season in Canada that he might have had a problem with tyre blankets during the qualifying session.

These blankets are designed to warm up and keep tyres at a certain maximum temperature (prescribed by FIA). However, the seven-time World Champion said his tires were two or three degrees colder.

Though the 39-year-old said it would hurt his performance, it doesn't seem like something that could be "life-threatening."

The team principal of Mercedes, Toto Wolff, addressed the email while speaking to the media during the following race weekend in Barcelona. He said:

"It's not from a member of the team. When we are getting these kind of emails, and we're getting tons of them, it is upsetting, particularly when somebody is talking about death and all these things. So, on this particular one, I have instructed to go in full force."

"We have the police inquiring it. We are researching the IP address. We are researching the phone, all of that, because online abuse in that way needs to stop. People can't hide behind their phones or their computers and abuse teams or drivers in a way like this."

Hamilton, along with the team principal, has been part of Mercedes for a very long time and claims to have. a great relationship based on trust and mutual respect.

But to play the devil's advocate, even if they didn't have a great relationship and the Austrian hated the 39-year-old, it wouldn't make sense for a team to sabotage one of their drivers.

The seven-time World Champion collects valuable points in the Constructors' Championship, which could make a difference of millions of dollars at the end of the season, not to mention that he's a massive part of Mercedes's brand, etc. Wolff added:

"I don't know what some of the conspiracy theorists and lunatics think out there. Lewis was part of the team for 12 years."

"We have a friendship. We trust each other. We want to win this. We want to end this on a high. We want to celebrate the relationship."

"And if you don't believe all of that, then you can believe that we want to win the Constructors' World Championship. And part of the Constructors' World Championship is making both cars win. So to all of these mad people out there... take a shrink!"