Mercedes Reveals All-Black Livery In Support Of Anti-Racism Movements, Pledges To Diversify

Mercedes, in support of anti-racism movements across the United States, has unveiled a new livery for the 2022 Formula One season. The livery is an all-black look and in an Instagram post, the company described it as “a pledge to improve the diversity of our team and our sport, and a signal of the Team’s commitment to fighting racism and discrimination in all its forms.”

One of the biggest fans of the decision is Mercedes driver, and arguably the best F1 driver in the world, has been Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton, whose father is black, spoke about the opportunities that these movements have brought. “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. I have personally experienced racism in my life and seen my family and friends experience racism, and I am speaking from the heart when I appeal for change. When I spoke to Toto about my hopes for what we could achieve as a team, I said it was so important that we stand united. I would like to say a huge thank you to Toto [Wolff] 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. 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.”

Mercedes announced that they will be retooling their team to be more ethnically diverse. Wolff in a statement spoke about the platform the company has and how Mercedes-Benz will strive to be better and the decision to roll out a new livery for this upcoming season. “Racism and discrimination have no place in our society, our sport or our team: this is a core belief at Mercedes,” Wolff said. “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 create credible pathways for them to reach our sport, in order to build a stronger and more diverse team in the future. I would also like to use this opportunity to thank our parent company Mercedes-Benz and our family of team partners who have supported and encouraged this initiative.”