With heritage dating back to 1930’s Mercedes-Benz racing cars, and later applied to Mercedes-Benz Formula One and sports cars in 1954 and 1955, Silver has been the traditional colour for German automobile manufacturers pedigree of racing cars.
For their return to Formula One for the 2020 season kicking off in Austria this weekend, the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows are shedding a part of their history and donning a new all-black livery in a public pledge to improve the diversity of its team, and take a bold stand against racism and discrimination of all forms.
This comes following a year that’s seen profound change in the world, most recently with the Black Lives Matter movement shining a spotlight on how much change, new measures and actions are required, not only by individuals but also by organisations in the fight against racism, inequality and discrimination.
The call to ‘End Racism’ will feature prominently on the halo of both cars, and the united F1 initiative #WeRaceAsOne will be featured on the mirrors of the W11. Drivers Lewis and Valtteri will race in black overalls for the 2020 season, with both drivers also adapting their helmet designs.
With just 3% of their workforce identifying as belonging to minority ethnic groups and only 12% of their employees being women, Mercedes-AMG Petronas have identified a lack of diversity within their organisation. They’re looking to find new approaches to attract talent from many areas they do not currently reach, announcing a Diversity and Inclusion programme that will include but not be limited to: continuing to listen to and raise the awareness of team team members; forensic analysis of recruitment and development processes; collaboration with the sport’s key stakeholders to improve accessibility to Formula One; and targeted education initiatives to encourage and support talented people from under-represented backgrounds who aspire to reach F1.
“We know that it will take time to build the right strategy, and consistent effort and investment year on year, and decade on decade, to make a measurable difference; our commitment to doing this is irreversible.” – Mercedes-AMG Petronas
Formula 1 World Champion and Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton
“It’s so important that we seize this moment and use it to educate ourselves whether you are an individual, brand or company to make real meaningful changes when it comes to ensuring equality and inclusivity.”
Lewis recently announced the formation of the Hamilton Commission, a research partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering dedicated to exploring how motorsport can be used to engage more young people from Black backgrounds with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects and ultimately employ them on our teams or in other engineering sectors.
