Motorsport TechnologyWith only four remaining days until the start of the long-awaited Formula One season, reigning world champions Mercedes have revealed they will switch to a striking all-black livery for the rest of the season.
Formula One is unequivocal in its condemnation of racism and inequality, recently announcing the launch of a new #WeRaceAsOne initiative. And the latest statement from Mercedes is a powerful visual stand against racism and discrimination in its ongoing mission to improve the diversity of the team.
“Racism and discrimination have no place in our society, our sport or our team: this is a core belief of Mercedes,” read a statement from Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff. “But having the right beliefs and the right mindset isn’t enough if we remain silent.
“We wish to use our voice and our global platform to speak up for respect and equality, and the Silver Arrow will race in black for the entire 2020 season to show our commitment to greater diversity within our team and our sport.
“We will not shy away from our weaknesses in this area, nor from the progress we must still make; our livery is our public pledge to take positive action. We intend to find and attract the very best talents from the broadest possible range of backgrounds, and to creative credible pathways for them to reach our sport, in order to build a stronger and more diverse team in the future.”
Six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has been one of the leading celebrity campaigners for equality in sport and has openly supported the #BlackLivesMatter movement by participating in protests in London.
“We want to build a legacy that goes beyond sport, and if we can be the leaders and can start building more diversity within our own business, it will send such a strong message and give others the confidence to begin a dialogue about how they can implement change,” added Hamilton.
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) June 29, 2020
The livery certainly looks a striking one and will stand out as a strong statement on the grid for the team known as the Silver Arrows. And it won’t only be the car that will have a different look, with both Hamilton and teammate Valtteri Bottas switching to black overalls and revealing new helmet designs in due course.
Craig Scarborough
Fraser Masefield