In response to recent movements against racism, Lewis Hamilton has largely mobilized, bringing with him a large part of the pilots and teams.
Mercedes decided to mark the occasion to support the actions undertaken by its pilot: thus, the livery sported, for all this 2020 season, by the German team, will no longer be gray, but black! And this, in support of the Black Lives MAtter movement, with the hastag “End racism”.
Mercedes will also take advantage of this mobilization to launch a vast diversity and inclusion program, to strengthen its commitment to its aspects. Because there is work to be done in the team, which still has only 12% women…
“In recent weeks, events around the world have reinforced the importance of the fight against racism and all forms of discrimination” said Marcus Schaefer, non-executive chairman of Mercedes F1.
“At Mercedes, we know that the strength of our organization lies in the diversity of our people, and we are proud to be able to use one of our most important global platforms to signal our commitment to this fundamental principle of our society and our business. “
Toto Wolff, the stable manager, explained his organization’s commitment in these terms.
“Racism and discrimination have no place in our society, our sport or our team: this is a fundamental conviction at Mercedes. But it is not enough to have the right convictions and the right mentality if we remain silent. We want to use our voice and our global platform to advocate for respect and equality, and the Silver Arrows will run in black throughout the 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 that remains to be made; our livery is our public commitment to act positively. We intend to find and attract the best talent from a wide variety of backgrounds, and create credible pathways for them to access our sport, in order to build a stronger and more diverse team in the world. ‘to come up. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our parent company Mercedes-Benz and our family of team partners who supported and encouraged this initiative. “
At the origin, in good part, of this mobilization, Lewis Hamilton of course welcomed the initiative.
“It is so important that we seize this moment and use it to educate ourselves, whether an individual, a brand or a company, in order to bring about real significant changes when it comes to ensuring equality and inclusion. I have personally experienced racism in my life and I have seen my family and friends experience it, and I speak from my heart when I appeal for change. When I spoke to Toto about my hopes for what we could achieve as a team, I said it was so important that we were united. I would like to warmly thank Toto and the Mercedes Board of Directors for taking the time to really listen, speak and understand my experiences and my passion, and for making this important statement that we are ready to change and improve as a business. We want to build a legacy that goes beyond sport, and if we can be the leaders and start building more diversity within our own business, it will send such a strong message and give others the confidence to start a dialogue on how they can implement change. “
Finally further back from this mobilization, Valtteri Bottas had a shorter message than his teammate.
“Formula 1 is a world that is defined by performance, but it still has many barriers for people who come from backgrounds that have not traditionally practiced this sport. We know our teams are stronger when they are more representative of the society we are part of, and it is important for us to be united and show our commitment to change. Racism and discrimination have no place in our sport or in our society and I am proud to join the team, Lewis and Mercedes-Benz in making this important statement. “
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