Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton has called for “support, not negativity” following an anonymous email claiming his Mercedes car was “sabotaged.” The email, purportedly written by an anonymous Mercedes employee, was sent to key figures in Formula 1, including team director Toto Wolff, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, as well as members of the media, after the Canadian Grand Prix earlier this month.
The email, which Mercedes does not believe originated from within the team, suggested that Hamilton has not received fair treatment in his final season with the team. The list of recipients of the email matches the one used for leaking messages exchanged between Christian Horner and a complainant before the season-opening race in Bahrain.
Hamilton asks for union in Mercedes: “We need support, not negativity”
Lewis Hamilton has called for an end to the criticism of Mercedes and his teammate George Russell on social media.
The British driver emphasized that both he and the team need support and not negativity,… pic.twitter.com/XnD5z3BfnB
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“If you look back over the years, we have been a strong team and have worked hard together. It’s easy to become emotional. In the last race, I was only commenting on my performance. We need support, not negativity,” Hamilton stated, adding that he had not seen the said email.
“Of course, there are always things that can be done better within the team, and that comes through discussions and communication. This is something we are constantly working on. We are all in the same boat and working hard together. We all want to finish on a high note, and I feel that we owe that to our long-term partnership,” the British driver continued.