Mercedes unveil all-black F1 car as part of anti-racism message
Brackley-based Mercedes will race in all-black cars for the upcoming F1 season as a signal of their commitment to stand up to racism.
The reigning F1 champions have decided to change their colours as part of a public pledge to improve the diversity of their team and the sport as a whole.
Mercedes also hope it will act as a visual symbol of "the team's commitment to fighting racism and discrimination in all its forms."
Drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas will race in black overalls as well, and their helmet designs will be adapted too.
Mercedes have driven in various shades of silver since the 1930s and they're known as the 'silver arrows.'
The team said in a statement that "just 3% of our workforce identify as belonging to minority ethnic groups and only 12% of our employees are women."
In order to address that imbalance, Mercedes will launch a diversity and inclusion programme which will look at the team's recruitment process and also how they can encourage more people from under-represented backgrounds to pursue a career in F1.
Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff said: "Racism and discrimination have no place in our society, our sport or our team: this is a core belief at Mercedes.
"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."
Stevenage driver, and current world champion Lewis Hamilton, added: "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.
"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."