Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team will be reverting to the silver livery for the 2022 season.
Mercedes will be going back to the future after deciding to use silver livery for 2022 F1 season. This is after the team used a black livery for the 2020 and 2021 campaigns.
Previously they had been using a silver livery until they decided to change the livery to black as part of the continued Black Lives Matter social awareness initiative that has been so important to Sir Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton, who is Black, came less than one lap from winning his eighth F1 drivers’ championship after F1 race director Michael Masi allowed lapped cars in-between Hamilton and Max Verstappen to pass the safety car ahead of the last lap restart.
At the time of the announcement of the black livery for the team, Mercedes AMG Petronas made it clear they wished to see more inclusion and social justice. In a statement, they said, “For 2020, we have chosen to race in an all-black base livery as a public pledge to improve the diversity of our team and a clear statement that we stand against racism and all forms of discrimination. The call to ‘End Racism’ will feature on the halo of both cars, and the united F1 initiative #WeRaceAsOne will be featured on the mirrors of the W11.”
Since then, Hamilton has kept the 2022 season on edge as rumors swirl that he may retire after the controversial finish to the season. The move to silver is not seen as an affront to the Black Lives Matter effort by Mercedes. They, and Hamilton, are dedicated to stamping out racism. Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One announced in June of 2020 that the black livery would be just for the 2020 season. Hamilton has formed a panel to increase diversity in motorsports.
