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Mercedes have traditionally raced in silver
throughout their time in Formula One but will switch to black
and have 'End Racism' emblazoned on the halo of both cars.
The team said the Black Lives Matter movement has "shone a
searching light on how much we need new measures and actions in
the fight against racism and all forms of discrimination".
The new livery will make its debut when Britain's world champion
Lewis Hamilton and Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas feature in
the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday.
"Racism and discrimination have no place in our society, our
sport or our team: this is a core belief at Mercedes," Mercedes
team principal Toto Wolff said in a statement .
"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."
Mercedes said only 3% of their workforce identified as belonging
to minority ethnic groups, while just 12% are women.
The team plans to launch a diversity and inclusion programme
before the end of the season as they look to improve those
numbers and encourage more people from under-represented
backgrounds into Formula One.
Six-times Formula One champion Hamilton said: "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."
(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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