Subham Poddar
Police have determined that an anonymous email accusing the Mercedes Formula 1 team of sabotaging Lewis Hamilton’s car does not constitute a criminal offense, although they have issued guidance to the team on how to handle similar incidents in the future.
Earlier this month, an anonymous email alleged that Mercedes, and specifically team principal Toto Wolff, were involved in “systematic sabotaging” of Hamilton’s car, strategy, and mental health. This email was sent to a list of F1 and media representatives, the same group that received alleged controversial WhatsApp messages involving Christian Horner earlier this year.
During the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, Wolff dismissed the accusations in the email, stating it did not come from within the team. “It’s not from a member of the team,” Wolff said in Barcelona. “Receiving these kinds of emails is upsetting, especially when they talk about death and other severe matters.”
Wolff mentioned that Mercedes had contacted the police to investigate the email’s origin. “We have the police inquiring about it. We’re researching the IP address and the phone. Online abuse like this needs to stop. People can’t hide behind their devices to abuse teams or drivers.”
On Tuesday, the police announced that no criminal activity had been found but provided advice to Mercedes on how to handle any future emails. “Northamptonshire Police received a report on June 12 regarding an email circulated within the Mercedes AMG F1 Team,” said a police spokesperson. “No criminal offences were found, but advice was given regarding any further emails the team may receive.”
Hamilton is set to leave Mercedes for Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season.
