Mercedes unveil black-liveried cars
Mercedes will have black-liveried cars in the 2020 season as the world champions aim to make a visual stand against racism and for diversity in the wake of 'Black Lives Matter' campaign.
Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas will race black-liveried Mercedes cars when the former targets Michael Schumacher's record as Formula One returns this week after the 2019-20 season was savaged due to coronavirus pandemic.
"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," said a Mercedes statement on their official website, mercedesamgf1.com.
Austria's Red Bull Ring in Spielberg will play host to the first race of the season, which otherwise would have been the 11th race on the normal calendar.
Six-time champion Hamilton, who is gunning to equal Schumacher's all-time record of seven titles, stated everyone will have to follow changes put in place by the authorities for the sport to operate successfully in the wake of the pandemic.
"We are preparing the best way we can for what is going to be the most difficult season that Formula 1 and all of us has experienced," Hamilton told Mercedes earlier this week as per Sky Sports.
"With the difficult times that we're facing and the changes that we have to make in order to operate."
Several laws have been put in place for safety of everyone involved which will see the F1 in a brand new avatar altogether.
Four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, who had earlier announced that this will be his final year with Ferrari, expressed his happiness with the prospect of getting back on the circuit after the long enforced break.
The 2020 season will kick off with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on July 5, followed a week later by a second race at the same track on July 12.
The Hungarian Grand Prix will take place a week after that, before a break. Then there will be two back-to-back races at Silverstone (August 2 & August 9), followed by the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona (August 16).
The Belgian Grand Prix will follow that on August 30, with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza a week later on September 6. All the races will be supported by Formula 2 and Formula 3.
