Wolff issues FURIOUS response to 'lunatics' behind 'Hamilton sabotage' accusations

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has issued a stinging response amid allegations of 'sabotage' within the team.

It was revealed last week that an anonymous email had been sent to a number of people within the Formula 1 paddock accusing the Brackley-based outfit of foul-play.

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The accusations referred specifically to the perceived poor treatment of star driver Lewis Hamilton.

It is not the first time the issue has created headlines this year, with Hamilton himself hinting at favouritism within the team following the Monaco Grand Prix.

However, responding to the latest accusations prior to this weekend's race in Barcelona, the Brit shot down any such claims.

“There are always things that can be better within a team and that comes through conversations, through communication, and that’s what we’re consistently working on", he said.

“But we’re all in the same boat, we’re all working hard together and we all want to finish on a high - we owe that to our long-term relationship.”

'Online abuse needs to stop'

Now, his boss has also lashed out at the claims, blasting the 'lunatics' who are attempting to destabilise the team.

The Austrian also confirmed the email was not sent by a Mercedes staff member, adding that the matter has now been passed on to the police.

“Yeah, so it’s not from a member of the team," he said.

"When we’re getting these kind of emails and we’re getting tons of them, it is upsetting, particularly when there’s somebody talking about death and all these things.

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“So we’ve, on this particular one, I have instructed to go and full force with the police, enquiring it. We are 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, I don’t know what some of the conspiracy theorist and lunatics think out there.

“Lewis was 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 and if you don’t believe all of that, that 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.”

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