The announcement of the collaboration between Mercedes and Kingspan caused some angry reactions. For example, that of Grenfell United, the association of the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. The skyscraper located in west London was hit by a fire that left 72 victims.
The investigations are still ongoing, but the finger is also pointed at Kingspan: an insulating material produced by the Irish company would not have done its job, aggravating the tragedy. After Mercedes’ first response, the Brackley team has just communicated the thoughts of co-owner Toto Wolff, expressed through an open letter.
A letter from Toto Wolff to Grenfell United. pic.twitter.com/OcczmEP4yA
– Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@ MercedesAMGF1) December 3, 2021
“Dear Grenfell United, Thank you for the letter about our partnership with Kingspan, which I received yesterday. The tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire was unimaginable to me, it should never have happened. On behalf of our team, I would like to sincerely apologize to you for the additional pain that this announcement caused: it was not our intention. The work of the investigators to fully establish the causes of the tragedy is of fundamental importance. Before defining our partnership, we went in depth with Kingspan to understand what role their products played in what happened at Grenfell Tower. Kingspan stated of played no role in the design or construction of the cladding system of the tower, and that a small percentage of its product was used as a substitute without its knowledge in a part that did not comply with building regulations, and therefore was not safe. I know this in no way changes the horrific tragedy you have endured, or the deep pain left in your community, and I would like to thank Grenfell United for offering to see each other in person to learn and understand better. Can’t wait to meet as soon as possible“.
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