Mercedes has revealed a new black livery for its Formula 1 car emblazoned with the motto “end racism” on its Halo.
The team said the unexpected announcement of a new look for the 2020 F1 season is “a signal of the team’s commitment to fighting racism and discrimination in all its forms.”Lewis Hamilton, who has spoken out strongly in support of anti-racism protests in recent weeks, thanked team principal Toto Wolff for agreeing to the change from the team’s usual silver livery, which it will run throughout this year’s championship.
“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,” said Hamilton.
“I have personally experienced racism in my life and seen my family and friends experience racism, and I am speaking from the 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 stand united.
“I would like to say a huge thank you to Toto and the Mercedes board for taking the time to listen, to talk, and to really understand my experiences and passion, and for making this important statement that we are willing 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 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.”
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Mercedes’ new look will be accompanied by a commitment to improving diversity within its team. According to Mercedes, just 12% of its employees are women, and only 3% are from minority ethnic backgrounds.
The team intends to launch a new programme during 2020 to promote diversity and inclusion. In a statement it said this will include: “Continuing to listen to and raise the awareness of our team members; forensic analysis of our recruitment and development processes; collaboration with the sport’s key stakeholders to improve accessibility to our sport; and targeted education initiatives to encourage and support talented people from under-represented backgrounds who aspire to reach F1.”
Team principal Toto Wolff said the team intends to “attract the very best talents from the broadest possible range of backgrounds” and thanked the team owner Mercedes for supporting the decision to depart from its traditional silver livery.
“Racism and discrimination have no place in our society, our sport or our team,” said Wolff. “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.”
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2020 F1 season
- Pictures: Wrecked chassis from Grosjean’s Bahrain fireball crash to go on display
- Bottas vs Rosberg: Hamilton’s Mercedes team mates compared after 78 races each
- F1 revenues fell by $877 million in Covid-struck 2020 season
- Hamilton and Mercedes finally announce new deal for 2021 season
- F1 audience figures “strong” in 2020 despite dip in television viewers
Sravan Krishnan (@sravan-pe)
29th June 2020, 11:08
That is absolutely beautiful.
Tomcat173 (@tomcat173)
29th June 2020, 11:41
10 times better than the regular boring livery.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
29th June 2020, 16:25
Looks great now, I know this is a new look but their silver is awful.
HOLMZINI
29th June 2020, 17:08
This is a mistake.
Why break the mold of Silver success?
I think it looks awful and I do support the message but why do we need the constant reminders. Far too many changes, I think we get the point. Formula One should just remain as it is and that is the message. We are Formula one and we support the message and we just don’t need to paint our cars. We get it.
LETS RETURN TO SILVER PLEASE
Jamie B
29th June 2020, 17:25
From an aesthetic point of view I much prefer the silver too, but they’re doing it for a great cause so, no, keep the black
Joe Pineapples
29th June 2020, 19:31
Looks like a remote control car from poundland.
RL
1st July 2020, 4:12
haha as if the colour determined their success. Someone’s going to bring up the special white livery in Germany last year, but they were pretty rubbish in 2010 to 2013 in silver too.
Ben
1st July 2020, 9:53
Looks like minardi
Jack R Waldvogel
14th September 2020, 5:25
I prefer the silver …. changing for the reason Mercedes claims is bogus ….. there is no “racism” in the world today …. there are “racist” people of every “race” but it is not systemic as the media would have you believe … as a matter of fact I would say that the percentage of “racist” folks in any “race” is about the same ….. a small percentage with troubled minds, few social skills and destructive tendencies ….. Just sayin’ …..
David BR (@david-br)
29th June 2020, 12:24
@sravan-pe Yes! And in more than one way.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
29th June 2020, 11:12
I’m so happy to be able to see a Mercedes with a different colour scheme. And what a livery it is, it looks amazing. Reminds me a bit of the 2016 McLaren, but with neon blue instead of red.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
29th June 2020, 11:12
Also, is it for the whole season or simply for Austria?
BasCB (@bascb)
29th June 2020, 11:26
From what the team has said about it,
it is a livery for the 2020 season @mashiat.
I really like it too. Stunning.
Dane
29th June 2020, 15:36
If Lewis went back to his old yellow or gold helmet colors I think it would really complement the new livery well.
GechiChan (@gechichan)
29th June 2020, 12:20
Mercedes’s only sign of weakness last year was in Austria, in the heat and altitude, where they had to lift and cost more than rivals due to overheating. If they are going to Austria in this black livery (which is certain to bring the temperatures a lot higher than the silver one) then the season is probably over before it began.
Jere (@jerejj)
29th June 2020, 12:25
@gechichan The figures around mid to even high-30s are unlikely to occur this time around, though, so Mercedes should be fine. Figures from 19 to the mid-20s are forecasted for both weekends with a chance of rain for both race-days.
AJ (@asleepatthewheel)
29th June 2020, 12:49
@gechichan I suppose the engineers at Brackley would have taken it into account
GechiChan (@gechichan)
29th June 2020, 13:03
yeah, that’s what I’m saying too: if they are confident enough to go with a black livery directly to the race that got them in trouble in 2019 (even though, as @jerejj points out, temperatures most likely won’t be as high this year), then the cooling of the new car should be significantly improved.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
29th June 2020, 13:13
@gechichan I wouldn’t necessarily rely on it happening two years in a row. I’m sure Mercedes has learnt from last year, plus they’ve probably had more time to prepare for this race specifically than any race in modern F1 history. And let’s not forget, they can also make alterations for the 2nd race based on their findings from the 1st weekend. Red Bull might benefit from the altitude with their Honda power unit. Plus, Verstappen seems to go well here, while this isn’t Hamilton’s best track. So those factors might play a bigger role.
James Norris
29th June 2020, 14:15
If this was the case then every F1 car would be white and the 70’s JPS Lotus’s would’ve been backmarkers
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
29th June 2020, 16:26
@gechichan I’m sure they have solved their PU reliability, besides new PU’s for the 2 austria races.
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
29th June 2020, 18:38
Wouldn’t the heating issue be related to radiators, which are normally black, and the air moving through them? Also, there is heat emitted from the engines and electric motors and such like, but again that’s internal heat. I don’t think the issue of solar generated heat on the exterior panels would be of much importance compared to the internally generated heat.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
29th June 2020, 11:14
I know the message is the more important part, but this is really striking.
The fact that this change is for the whole season rather than just a one off also means a lot more, butstill a paint job is only a tiny nod to a significant change that needs to happen.
Not significant, but I bet Codemasters are thrilled with a 2nd livery change so close to release date.
ColdFly (@)
29th June 2020, 11:46
Indeed @eurobrun.
Very pleasing design execution which will certainly help to spread the message.
Pironi the Provocateur (@pironitheprovocateur)
29th June 2020, 11:20
Well…”Lewis, we support you very much, here’s your black (wink) car.” Doesn’t sound like the best of the signals from Mercedes, although I appreciate something different. Design is eye-catching, the rational behind it rather clumsy.
Also, the Codemasters are going to have a hell of a summer.
BasCB (@bascb)
29th June 2020, 11:28
Bit of an unexpected one there. But it really shows to the world that Mercedes is wholly behind their world champion driver with the message. And they seem to be solidly on message with the initiatives announced both by Hamilton and by F1 to support more diversity and an end to racism.
Oh, and the livery is really great looking too on top.
And no Rokit on it either.
Optimaximal (@optimaximal)
29th June 2020, 11:52
@bascb plenty of room to put it on the side of the tub.
BasCB (@bascb)
29th June 2020, 11:58
Yes, there certainly is room on the car if they are still talking and want to announce that later. And the Rokit logo would now fit in with hte livery. Or they could just put in ROKiT lettering in the red patch on the lower sides of the rear wing, off course @optimaximal
Jeanrien (@jeanrien)
29th June 2020, 11:57
Agree that it is a nice gesture, a great cause and a very nice livery… but I hope that all teams won’t follow as that would be a bit dull to have only black cars. Mercedes has been leading the field both on and off the track lately (can’t argue that Ferrari has made huge stride from where they were coming from and got a lot more enjoyable).
I also hope that everything leads to something, both to allow people from all background into racing and to make the world equal between gender and ethnicity.
BasCB (@bascb)
29th June 2020, 12:03
Yeah, having an all black field would not be the best thing liverywise @jeanrien, I sure enough agree with that. Although I think the Williams livery would look fine enough if they put in a rainbow to replace the blue accent running along their latest livery!
With Mercedes leading the field on track, and showing they are on message and working together with Lewis and on the same page with him (and the sport) does give some hope that they can help bring some much needed change.
There are so many talented people out there in the world, it makes huge sense to finally tap into all the experiences and ideas that can surely only make this a better place for everyone.
Chaitanya
29th June 2020, 11:34
That livery is absolutely stunning, hopefuly Mercs will run for entire season.
AMG44 (@amg44)
29th June 2020, 11:39
That looks Amazing. Just saw it on the Mercedes twitter and for a second i thought it is an April fool thingy.
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
29th June 2020, 11:58
I know I said this before, but for the love of god Codemasters must be pulling their hair out.
BasCB (@bascb)
29th June 2020, 12:06
Just think of the added extra PR when they can present this livery though @bernasaurus.
Making a new livery probably isn’t that complicated – afterall they even implemented a tool to make your own livery for the “my team” play already.
They will be far more on the backfoot if people start pushing to see Mugello and Portimao tracks included (although with Mugello, maybe Ferrari might be willing to chip in? And provide accurate 3D imaging), since that is a major thing they just won’t be able to do.
ECWDanSelby (@ecwdanselby)
29th June 2020, 12:27
I think they’ve already ruled out new tracks being implemented.
Mashiat (@mashiat)
29th June 2020, 13:16
@bascb I’m highly doubtful we’ll see those tracks on F1 2020, as they had both the 3-D CAD models and the laser-scans for Zandvoort and it still probably took months to fully design the track. Add to that the fact that the AI drivers etc. will have to be programmed and it might be worth more hassle than they’ll be willing to deal with.
Peyton
29th June 2020, 16:28
They don’t use laser scans. It’s done by hand/eye guesswork from videos and photos.
Dex
29th June 2020, 19:56
They don’t laser scan tracks, true, but in case of Zandvoort they did it (which makes it the only laser scanned track in game as far as I know). A strange mix of a realistic track and F1 physics that’ll be.
BasCB (@bascb)
29th June 2020, 13:48
yes, they indeed have (meaning only Hockenheim would be brought in, if it does get a race) @ecwdanselby, they really cannot just implement these tracks without massive work to build them from scratch @mashiat.
That was why Codemasters would really be in a bad place if these tracks all do get on the calendar, since there will inevitably be fans who will call for them to put them in regardless. And will even get angry at them, talk about how bad the game is because of it.
Aiii (@)
29th June 2020, 11:59
Lets see if over the next year we’ll see some non-white faces in the upper echelons of the Mercedes F1 organization (and hopefully across all teams). This kind of brand exercise is all good and well, but a very futile one if their entire pit wall and all their top engineers remain white.
bob (@riptide)
29th June 2020, 12:20
This will be no different to any other big organisation that pursues a more inclusive policy. It takes time for that to permeate the upper echelons. Same with earnings. Equal pay has been the law for decades but one of the reasons women are still behind is that it takes time to go from the ground floor to the top. Time will rectify that.
Jack (@jackisthestig)
29th June 2020, 12:47
Who should they get rid of to make room for these new faces?
DavidH
29th June 2020, 14:13
Funny thing is it is massively apparent that across the white western world people are discriminated against when applying for jobs. It has been proven time and time again when two applications are identical but one has a clearly ethnic minority name, it’ll be the ordinary white sounding name who will get further in the process. It’s not even necessarily a deliberately racist policy, it is the inherent racism in people that they maybe don’t even realise they suffer from that helps make millions of these small but decisive decisions day in day out across the world that helps keep black and ethnic minorities out of positions they had all the qualifications they needed for, but were always disproportionately and artificially kept from. So the question is less “who is going to lose out”, and more, “who deserves a job in future that might actually get the chance now?”
By rights all hiring processes should be completely blind as to who the applicant is and should be based on merit and merit alone, with no hidden questions that help to root out who might have gone to a posh school etc, another way the more well off also get a leg up time and time again over working classes and everyone else. It’s time for a massive change.
anon
29th June 2020, 13:22
Lewis needs to get on the front foot and start demanding black engineers at Mercedes, a black technical director.
Balue (@balue)
30th June 2020, 9:41
Only blacks would obviously be discrimination to all the other colored people.
He should really start with replacing his own white assistant Angela Cullen.
ColdFly (@)
29th June 2020, 12:06
Does this mean that the ‘We Race As One’ rainbow needs to change as well?
Decal change on all cars :P
Adam (@rocketpanda)
29th June 2020, 12:18
Anti-racism livery does make me think of the Honda Earthdreams livery. Good intentioned but strange coming from an organisation that doesn’t really do what its championing all that well. Either way the black Mercedes looks nice, but the whole field now is very… black/grey/white. Teams! There are other colours!
S
29th June 2020, 12:27
Honda did exactly what they were supporting.
They made an effort to support the Earth by leaving F1 completely after 2 years with the Earthdreams livery.
Joe
29th June 2020, 12:21
Stunning! It looks mean!
Dan Rooke (@geekzilla9000)
29th June 2020, 12:23
I always found the Mercedes livery to look a bit bland, but this is really stunning – I can’t wait to see it on track.
I absolutely support their message too and it’s great that they are using their position in the sport to promote progressive thinking, especially when former figures such as Bernie are wheeled out and still used by the media as a spokesperson for F1.
Jere (@jerejj)
29th June 2020, 12:27
Nice, but I prefer the predominantly grey-livery scheme. Not that I wouldn’t get used to this one, but predominantly black just doesn’t seem fit for Mercedes’ F1-cars.
Chris Horton
29th June 2020, 12:31
Codemasters are having a mare.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
29th June 2020, 12:38
Intentions aside (which are great) that is one stunning looking car.
Wass85
29th June 2020, 12:42
Silver car lives matter, this is racism at it’s finest…. 🙄
Jockey Ewing
29th June 2020, 13:03
I like the idea, but I’d mix a bit of silver in at least. A silver-black gradient or some high contrast silver stripes could be interesting here and there. I dont like the engine cover too much, as the stars at that amount is a bit too much and too plain with that high contrast. Probably there is where I’d apply gradient, on the small stars (silver-black or black-white) to make them more subtle and blend in a bit. I don’t mind dropping some of those engine cover stars either, or to apply multiple kind of gradients per stars to make some stand out and make some blend in very much. Or have stars with varying sizes.
MEF
29th June 2020, 13:03
I don’t really think that painting the cars black (if they really wanted to they could’ve also not bowed to the Petronas interest and painted their logo black too) is anything other than latching onto a zeitgeist in a rather trinketized way.
Actually put your money where your mouth is and work to change the ethnic makeup of workforces etc or don’t bother with gimmicks like this.
John H (@john-h)
29th June 2020, 13:04
Reminds me a bit when they changed the inner stripe on the groove tyres to green instead of white. Hope it’s not a token gesture such as this, but sounds like they are doing it for the right reasons.
Steven Robertson (@emu55)
29th June 2020, 13:04
Is that an actual paint job or carbons natural colour? Weight saving?
Robert
29th June 2020, 16:10
@emu55 I would think it’s painted. However, since it is definitely carbon underneath, which is dark in itself, a black paint can be much thinner and will weigh less than a good coating of silver or any other color. This is one of the reasons why most teams does not paint the lower parts of the cars, or paint them in dark colors. Perfect opportunity this for Mercedes to shave off a few more grams and disguise it as a good cause political statement.
Peyton
29th June 2020, 16:32
Why would teams want to make lower parts of the car lighter? This statement is contrary to what is the usually goal, lowering center of gravity.
That being said, I doubt very much that the weight of the paint of the car can have a significant effect either way. It’s more likely that they do not paint the bottom of the car as it gets damaged a lot and gets significant amount of debris on it.
Robert
30th June 2020, 15:06
@Peyton
Lower overall weight is more important than lowering the center of mass. If they can remove any weight anywhere, they will do that. But also, any mass removed will most likely be made up for with ballast to meet minimum wight rules. That ballast will always be even lower placed in the car, right down inside the floor or front wing center section, which would then actually lower the overall center of mass regardless.
Paint does seem to be a ridiculously small weight save at first glance. But think of it in the form of a bucket or can with paint rather than after it has been applied. Full paint cans are not light weight. It would take probably a few liters, therefor several kilograms, to paint the entire car. Painting only half of it, or less, could no doubt save a couple of kilos. And it is weight that would be spread out over the outside, as far away from the center of mass as it can be, which is greatly affecting rotational inertia. Lower inertia in a car will make it easier to rotate around corners even if the weight is the same.
The reasons for saving on paint on only the lower half of the car are of course many. Branding is one, the top half is more visible so teams and sponsors want that to stand out in their respective colors. The lower part is full of small aero parts that are time consuming to paint, gets replaced often, collects a lot of dirt and teams might want to keep them difficult for opponents and media to see or photograph. So if you are going to save on paint, the lower half of the car is the more reasonable option in the real world. Everything is a compromise.
mrfill (@mrfill)
29th June 2020, 13:09
Actions speak louder than liveries.
Its very pretty though..
Warren2185 (@warren2185)
29th June 2020, 13:22
Sorry I posted almost exactly what you said. Then I read yours. (although I get deleted alot here)
Arnold Triyudho Wardono (@ernietheracefan)
29th June 2020, 13:12
Unpopular opinion here, but I prefer this over Bubba’s BLM livery..
anon
29th June 2020, 13:20
Shouldn’t all colours of people be represented because the scourge of racism exists all over the world and affects all races?
Warren2185 (@warren2185)
29th June 2020, 13:21
Mercedes thinks they can re-image their way out of their own racism problem? They have 12% women and 3% minority and people are applauding a livery change? Actions speak louder than images. I’m surprised people buy into this.
bob (@riptide)
29th June 2020, 13:31
So whats the average employment stats for minorities within motorsports top teams compared to Mercedes? And whats the %age of women who work in high performance car engineering within the UK compared to Mercedes F1?
Fantomius (@liko41)
29th June 2020, 13:44
They have a small minority of women, that’s true.
Probably it’s due to the fact women are far less likely to apply to a job at Mercedes F1 team.
Just saying.
Pironi the Provocateur (@pironitheprovocateur)
29th June 2020, 14:35
Well, what do you suggest, quotas? Since Mercedes is a German company located in Europe, you can expect the numbers will more or less copy the natural demographics. You can fool the reality with the fake worries for social justice.
luigismen (@luigismen)
29th June 2020, 15:30
Mercedes have won 6 championship in a row making them the most successful team ever. I think they are hiring the right people for the job and not choosing by ethnic group or gender.
People need to realize that forcing diversity is wrong, people need to be hired depending on your capability to do a job and how good you are, not if it makes your team more diverse or not.
William Jones
29th June 2020, 21:26
Exactly, all we ask is equal opportunity, not equal results.
Fantomius (@liko41)
29th June 2020, 13:43
The livery is stunning, but, holy crap Mercedes and Hamilton, give us a break with this racism stuff.
Martin
29th June 2020, 19:19
So you’re saying black people should just put up with racism? Bold take
kevin citron
29th June 2020, 21:01
no, you’re right, this livery will definitely solve the problem of racism
Martin
29th June 2020, 22:30
Yep that’s exactly what I said. Good to know racists still have less than 5 braincells to rub together.
petebaldwin (@)
30th June 2020, 2:07
Interesting – “give us a break with this racism stuff” is what minorities have been saying for years but as they got ignored, we’re now where we are….
Dutchguy (@justarandomdutchguy)
29th June 2020, 13:46
at least the red looks better this way
DonSmee (@david-beau)
29th June 2020, 13:58
Hi Keith.. Is this the first black works mercedes race car? (not just f1 but in other motorsport too) thanks.
Fantomius (@liko41)
29th June 2020, 14:18
@david-beau Mercedes used to run a black C class in DTM a few years ago.
Matt (@hollidog)
29th June 2020, 15:41
They ran black cars at GT World Cup in Macau a couple of years ago
https://sportscar365.com/other-series/gt-world-cup/mercedes-amg-liveries-revealed-for-macau/
Mahesh (@m47e57)
29th June 2020, 14:02
looks awesome!!!
Sameer Cader (@)
29th June 2020, 14:25
This is ugly and goes away from Mercedes traditional silver arrows livery. Imagine if Ferrari decided to paint its car yellow.
bob (@riptide)
29th June 2020, 15:28
Well the last time they painted one yellow it lead at Spa.
tony mansell
29th June 2020, 16:39
Its actually a myth that Ferrari’s are painted red. They just get embarrassed a lot.
luigismen (@luigismen)
29th June 2020, 14:54
I’m sorry, but this is the biggest racist thing that anyone can do. I mean… how are you gonna fight racism by painting your car black? how is that going to help? why fight racism by pointing out that there is a difference between races?
I believe the best way to fight racism is by the slogan “we are the same” by uniting people… not by fighting each other. Painting your car black is like sending a message that says that only “blacks” matter… like no one cares about ‘other races’ and Implying that there are different races and we are different.
The car looks awesome though.
bob (@riptide)
29th June 2020, 15:30
The biggest racist thing anyone can do? Err, OK.
luigismen (@luigismen)
29th June 2020, 15:34
I know, sorry about that… Obviously it is not, but I’m referring and how teams are managing this movement of “fighting racism”
bob (@riptide)
29th June 2020, 16:29
nps. I can imagine a number within Mercedes having doubts over this approach until someone showed them what the car was going to look like!
David BR (@david-br)
29th June 2020, 16:22
@luigismen White Europeans spread slavery of Africans and indigenous peoples around the world, as part of Europe’s global economic expansion, and subsequently developed numerous theological and later scientific ‘justifications,’ including racialized evolutionary theory, scientific racism and racial eugenics. The legacy is still very much with us. Pretending institutionalized racism doesn’t still exist isn’t going to solve anything. The evidence that police forces and justice systems are rife with racial prejudice is overwhelming. Just yesterday, a father and his 15-year old son out cycling were attacked by police in London, the son hurled off his bike by one officer leaping out in front of him, left bruised, cut and left in a state of profound shock, for the crime of being black, like an alleged perpetrator of a crime somewhere else. The police barely apologised for the assault. Would they have done that to a white father and son in a park? No way. That’s what ‘institutionalized racism’ means. While you may be happy pretending races don’t exist, others in positions of power still see them and discriminate accordingly. What are you going to do to change that?
Pironi the Provocateur (@pironitheprovocateur)
29th June 2020, 17:15
For thousands of years, white Europeans spread slavery even among themselves, enslaving other nations and even calling them accordingly (Slaves – Slavs). White Europeans from Balkans and Central Europe were taken by thousands and millions into Ottoman slavery. If you’re ashamed for your colonial past, please, be ashamed and whip youself sadistically, but stop spreading your guilt among Europeans as a whole. Also, accusing Europeans of spreading slavery across the globe is extremely ignorant, almost ridiculous to say – nearly all the communities in the past had slaves even among themselves and if it wasn’t for the European enlightment and the subsequent technical progress, it would be thriving in less developed societies. African tribes and Arab traders were already engaged in slavery a big time when the Europeans came. Educate yourself.
David BR (@david-br)
29th June 2020, 18:28
@pironitheprovocateur Europeans literally globalized slavery, that’s the point. I’m well aware of local enslavement practices as aspects of tribal warfare in many parts of the world, Europe included. But Europeans industrialized slavery, connecting it intimately to economic exploitation and the seizure of lands and resources across continents. It was an entirely different scale. Education from you? What a joke.
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
30th June 2020, 0:59
@pironitheprovocateur
Arab slavery trade -the one you were referring to- and slavery in general was abolished in Tunisia on 23 January 1846, 35 years before the French colonization of Tunisia and 21 years before it was abolished in the USA.
The European enlightenment as you call, or simply the colonization as the historians call it did nothing in the Arabic African countries but drain their resources and kill their peoples.
I think you should have known that the countries you were talking about were countries with great civilizations and didn’t wait for the European enlightenment to thrive, it’s the exact opposite with the exception of the Roman Empire and ancient Greece.
Have you ever heard of ancient Egypt, Carthage, Babylon… ? I think @david-br do have a valid point though about your advise with regard to education.
MCG
30th June 2020, 4:29
“Just yesterday, a father and his 15-year old son out cycling were attacked by police in London, the son hurled off his bike by one officer leaping out in front of him, left bruised, cut and left in a state of profound shock, for the crime of being black”
So you’re saying the police jumped out in front of them because they are black?
There is no other context to this story?
It was just because they are black, Wow!
Suffering Williams Fan
29th June 2020, 17:29
One of the reasons people are opting for slogans like “black lives matter” rather than the “we’re all the same” approach is because context matters (David BR neatly summarised some of that context above). A key aspect of the messaging is about shining a light on the fact that black lives are being undervalued relative to white lives (for example), drawing attention to a specific problem, rather than hiding the group that is suffering from view within more general notions of equality, which allows people to avoid addressing the actual problem. While there is clearly much more work that needs to be done, by changing their livery in this way, Mercedes are at least being consistent with this approach to the messaging.
MCG
30th June 2020, 4:49
@ Suffering Williams Fan
If you believe this is true “black lives are being undervalued relative to white lives”.
In these times that does not ring true, it is a perception among those that choose to believe it. Racism does exist, no one can argue that, but your view does nothing to help anything, it just undermines any trust that has been gained. You can blab on about context ETC, but yours is not the only context, that is why a neutral stand is the better option
I believe what you are looking for is “black lives are being portrayed as undervalued relative to white lives” by folk like yourself.
I too have been bullied, hurt, discriminated against for reasons I do nat care to share, but I have never branded any group for it. life sometimes sucks, get up and achieve or blame the world, up to you.
Gaspar Palagyi (@palagyi)
29th June 2020, 15:45
Mercedes: *paints a car black*
Racism: *ends*
If only Martin Luther King had thought of that!
I mean, come on.
XMG (@)
29th June 2020, 17:29
@palagyi clearly the point is to use their platform and global visibility to continue promoting discussion around racism.
Will painting a car black end racism? Of course not, not directly anyway. But a lot of people, and indeed many within these comments sections, appear to be tiring of the media surrounding this topic or just flat out refuse to accept that there’s a problem anyway. We all have a responsibility to not let those voices distract from the changes that need to be made, and Mercedes commitment to improving diversity within their team and the sport is arguably the bigger story here. A very welcome one too.
Gaspar Palagyi (@palagyi)
29th June 2020, 19:05
You’re absolutely right on one point: a lot of people, including me, are getting tired of the media surrounding the topic. I’m pretty sure it’s not just me who feels companies like Mercedes (or look at Gilette with there ‘boys will be boys’ ad a few years ago) are in no position to suggest that they are better or know any better than anybody. What did they actually do to actually help? Nothing, that’s what.
What they do instead is just a shallow, pretentious and fake virtue signaling that I simply can’t understand how people can buy into. Painting a car, plastering rainbows, writing hashtags and crap like that will achieve nothing, especially if they do that in this self-rightous manner.
The same goes for Hamilton too. He’s just a talented racer, nothing less, but nothing more. He has a practically immeasureable wealth: if he wants to help, he should stick to that instead of narrowing down a wide range of opinions to either fully agreeing with him and thus being right, or else risk being labeled “uneducated”.
KGN11
30th June 2020, 2:23
“ The same goes for Hamilton too. He’s just a talented racer, nothing less, but nothing more. He has a practically immeasureable wealth: if he wants to help, he should stick to that instead of narrowing down a wide range of opinions to either fully agreeing with him and thus being right, or else risk being labeled “uneducated”.
Oh wow
t3x
30th June 2020, 6:43
You are right, the world is being played by this racism nonsense, the media is pushing this narrative, it’s all rubbish. Sure there are bad cops and people out there, but a tiny amount.
We are being divided for political purpose, wake up everyone !
Aapje (@aapje)
30th June 2020, 8:49
@sparkyamg
Journalist Lee Fang had to publicly apologize for publishing a quote by a black person who asked for people to be more concerned about the high level of black-on-black crime. A UCLA professor has been placed under investigation for quoting Martin Luther King. A data scientist was fired for pointing to a study that nonviolent protest achieves its goals better. Surveys also show that most people feel silenced by political correctness, not empowered to have a discussion.
So this is clearly not about “promoting discussion around racism,” but silencing people with different opinions and not allowing certain facts to be pointed out.
Smart people who aren’t mindless drones that parrot the popular opinion, only discuss this anonymously or not at all, to keep safe from the new red guards.
XMG (@)
30th June 2020, 10:12
@aapje that is a very big leap you’ve made between a company publicly committing to improving diversity within their team and ‘silencing people with different opinions’.
I don’t disagree that unpopular opinions often get silenced but that has absolutely nothing to do with Mercedes or the point I was making about needing to continue the discussion about racism.
Unconscious bias (favouring one race or gender over another without realising it) is arguably the biggest and most damaging form of racism. I’m not ashamed to admit that although I’ve never classed myself as racist I have always subconsciously made assumptions about people based on race, and to a lesser extent, gender. I still do, despite all the media and awareness campaigns over the years. The difference now, is that I’m consciously aware that I’m doing it and I can actively challenge those assumptions before they end up having a negative effect on any interaction (directly or indirectly) I may have with a person.
This same bias exists heavily in recruitment processes and is exactly what Mercedes are trying to improve. Don’t try and belittle thir intent or make it out to be something it’s not.
Aapje (@aapje)
1st July 2020, 10:43
@sparkyamg
My point is that you can’t have a true discussion when people feel threatened. It just becomes a sermon, that many people endure out of fear.
Lots of the claims are debatable and/or there are other aspects to it, but actually trying to debate those puts you in danger.
Radoye
29th June 2020, 15:53
I like it, reminds me of the early 90’s Sauber-Mercedes livery.