In an effort to reclaim their place at the top of Grand Prix racing in 2023, Mercedes has switched back to their black livery for the upcoming Formula One season.
During the Wednesday launch at the Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire, central England, Lewis Hamilton and fellow driver George Russell unveiled the new vehicle.
Last year, the 38-year-old multiple world champion finished sixth, his worst finish in a Formula One championship, as Mercedes struggled to adjust to the sport’s new rules.
But now they hope that a change of fortune will come with a return to black, the colors that helped British racer Lewis Hamilton win a record-breaking seventh title in 2020.
As part of an anti-racism campaign, Hamilton, one of the few prominent people of color in motorsport, urged Mercedes to paint their car black for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Mercedes has always raced in silver, which is why the German company is known as the “Silver Arrows.”
Additionally, Toto Wolff, the team’s director, stated that this year’s color change was due to performance.
Wolff stated, “We were overweight last year.” This year, we have attempted to locate a location from which we can extract every gram. Thus, history has now repeated itself.
Some of the car’s components are painted matte black and some are raw carbon.
“Of course, the main reason we changed the livery in 2020 was to support the diversity and equality causes, which are always important to us.
“At that point, the color black became ingrained in our DNA, so we are pleased to return to it.”
Last year, Hamilton finished a huge 214 points behind champion Max Verstappen and even behind Mercedes teammate Russell, who came in fourth, ending his streak of winning at least one race in every season of his career, which began in 2007 when he made his debut for McLaren.
As Hamilton approaches the end of his current £40 million-per-season contract, he will be hoping Mercedes has provided him with a vehicle that will enable him to compete with Verstappen and Red Bull.
Hamilton stated prior to his 11th season with Mercedes and 17th overall in Formula One, “I have been here a long time.”
“Racing is still my favorite sport, and that will never change. I always have faith that I can improve because it is ingrained in my DNA.
“I love the mental and physical challenges of having to go deep and figure out how I can get more performance out of myself, the people around me, and the car that is always changing.
“I love that there is always a new logbook and new tools that you have to get used to, so I plan to stay a little longer,” says the employee.
During three days of testing next week in Bahrain, Hamilton and Russell, who won his first race and Mercedes’ sole victory of 2022 during the penultimate round in Brazil, will get their first look at this year’s car before the curtain-raiser on March 5 in Brazil.
As he got ready for his second season with Mercedes, the 25-year-old Russell said he knew what to expect.
He stated, “We are all here to win.” That’s all there is to it.