The Formula 1 team of Mercedes will run a new, all-black base livery for the 2020 season as part of its public pledge to further improve the diversity both inside the team and the sport in general.
The new colors will debut at the first round of the 2020 F1 Championship, the Austrian Grand Prix, this weekend. Both Mercedes F1 cars will also feature ‘End Racism’ on their halo, as well as the ‘#WeRaceAsOne’ on their mirrors.
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The team is also planning to launch a Diversity and Inclusion program before the season ends, aiming to raise awareness among the team members, analyze their recruitment processes, improve the accessibility to the sport and support talented people from under-represented backgrounds among others.
“Racism and discrimination have no place in our society, our sport or our team: this is a core belief at Mercedes,” said Toto Wolff, Team Principal of the Mercedes-AMG F1 Team. “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.”
The move follows six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton’s formation of the Hamilton Commission, a research partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering that will explore how motorsport can be used to engage more young people from Black backgrounds with science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
“I would like to say a huge thank you to Toto and the Mercedes Board for taking the time to listen, to talk, and to really understand my experiences and passion, and for making this important statement that we are willing to change and improve as a business,” said Lewis Hamilton. “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.”
