Mercedes F1 Principal Toto Wolff has confirmed a police investigation regarding an email about the team “systematically sabotaging” the seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton‘s car. The British driver is in his final season with Mercedes as he will join Scuderia Ferrari in the 2025 season.
A furious Wolff lashed out over the “upsetting” email which he denied came from a member of Mercedes’ 1500 workforce and which had been sent to Formula One’s major players including the FIA. The German businessman addressed the press in Barcelona.
Wolff lashes out at fake e-mail about “systematically sabotaging” Hamilton’s car
He said, “It’s not from a member of the team. When we are getting these kinds of emails, and we’re getting tons of them, it is upsetting, particularly when there is somebody talking about death and all these things.”
“On this particular one, I have instructed to go on full force. We have the police inquiring [about] it. We’re 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,” added Wolff.
So, to all of these mad people out there, take a shrink: Toto Wolff
Further in the press conference, Toto Wolff then spoke about his and the team’s relationship with Hamilton. He questioned the intentions of those creating the controversy and them as ‘mad people’, who require professional help.
Wolff said, “I don’t know what some of the conspiracy theorists and lunatics think out there. Lewis has been part of the team for 12 years. We have a friendship. We trust each other. We want to end this on a high. We want to celebrate the relationship. 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.”