When Formula 1 returns to the race track in Austria next weekend, it will compete in a world that has changed fundamentally since the teams last met in Melbourne in early March. Our sport’s joint response to the Covid 19 pandemic in the form of “Project Pitlane” has shown the best skills that Formula 1 has to offer.
But in the past five weeks, the “Black Lives Matter” movement has put the spotlight on how much new measures and active action are needed in the fight against racism and discrimination in every form. As a team, Mercedes has used the past few weeks to listen, learn and think about the perspectives of team members.
Mercedes is proud of culture and values. The world champions appreciate the contribution of each and every individual. However, only three percent of the workforce identify themselves as belonging to ethnic minorities and only 12 percent of the employees are women. This lack of diversity shows that new approaches have to be developed in order to address the talents that are currently not being reached.
For this reason, Mercedes has decided to start with a completely black base coat in the 2020 season – as a public obligation to improve the diversity of the team and as a clear statement that Mercedes is against racism and all forms of discrimination. The “End Racism” call will be shown on the halo of both cars, and the joint Formula 1 initiative #WeRaceAsOne will also find a place on the rear-view mirrors of the W11 racing cars.
Toto Wolff, Team Principal & Managing Director of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team, says: «Racism and discrimination have no place in our society, our sport and our team: We at Mercedes are firmly convinced of this. But the right beliefs and the right mindset are not enough if we remain silent. We therefore want to use our voice and our global platform to campaign for respect and equality. The Silver Arrows will appear in black throughout the 2020 season to demonstrate our clear commitment to more diversity in our team and our sport. We will not ignore our own weaknesses in this area or shy away from the progress we still have to make. Our paintwork is our public promise to take positive action. »
Lewis Hamilton says: “It is so important that we use this moment to educate ourselves – whether as an individual, as a brand or as a company – and to make real, meaningful changes for equality and integration. I have experienced racism in my own life and have seen my family and friends exposed to racism. That is why my call for change comes from the heart. When I spoke to Toto about my hopes of what we can achieve as a team, I said that our cohesion is now particularly important. I would like to express a huge thank you to Toto and the Mercedes Board of Management for taking the time to listen, to speak, to really understand my experiences and passion and for the clear statement that we as a company want to change and improve . »
