Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes criticized for new sponsor on F1 car, Toto Wolff responds

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are facing criticism for their latest sponsorship deal with Kingspan, an Irish company.

Mercedes has come under fire after the team recently began a sponsorship with the building materials company in the aftermath of the horrific Grenfell Tower fire in London.

In June 2017, a fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London, which led to the death of 72 people. The fire has since been attributed to a structural deficiency in the exterior cladding on the building. The cladding used insulation material from Kingspan, the company that now sponsors Mercedes, as we head into the final two races of the year.

Lewis Hamilton expressed his support for the victims of the fire on its three-year anniversary last year. The driver has since faced a major backlash from the community as Mercedes is now sponsored by the same company that had a big role to play in the fire.

Grenfeld United, a group which supports survivors of the horrific fire, has called the sponsorship "truly shocking" in an open letter to Mercedes and Toto Wolff.

Mercedes and Toto Wolff have since clarified that Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas had nothing to do with the sponsorship or its details.

Among those who criticized the move was Tory MP Michael Gove, who serves as Secretary of State for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations of the United Kingdom. Gove has asked Mercedes to reconsider their sponsorship with the company.

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Lewis Hamilton leads Max Verstappen at the end of FP1

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton found pace at the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, finishing the first practice session (FP1) nearly 0.056 seconds clear of Verstappen. The Dutchman was not slouching too far behind as he set a blazing lap in the final minute of the session, splitting the two Mercedes cars and denying a 1-2.

Max Verstappen had to abandon a push lap towards the end of the session and nearly caused an accident with the Alpine of Esteban Ocon. The driver has since been criticized for displaying yet another instance of dangerous driving.

The action resumes with FP2, as all teams get a better grip over the brand new circuit into the night.

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