The 2020 Formula 1 season is finally about to be underway at Austria this weekend and everyone from fans to drivers to teams are super excited for it. A lot has happened in the past couple of months in and around F1 itself and some of it has led to a few updated liveries.
The Williams team lost its title sponsorship with RoKiT and understandably had to ditch its exciting livery for 2020. Unfortunately, the new look for the FW43 takes it in the other direction of being extremely dull. I don’t mind the white and blue team colours but this livery looks like the starting point in a livery design section of a video game. I know the team is strapped for cash but the absence of sponsorship shouldn’t mean an absence of colourful cars. There is a small rainbow on the end plates of the rear wing and one on the halo which presumably stands for supporting inclusivity and standing against all forms of discrimination. I think I’ve seen multiple teams feature a rainbow somewhere on their cars for similar reasons for the upcoming season opener.
Speaking of supporting communities, Mercedes-AMG has decided to highlight its commitment to fight inequalities and push for wider representation in the paddock by changing the 2020 livery to feature black as the base colour. The W11 still features the Petronas blue ribbons, the ENOS red hat and the Niki Lauda red star on the engine cover. Reasons aside, I actually like the look of the Mercedes F1 car in this colour scheme especially after being fed up of the mostly unchanged silver cars over the last few years.
F1 as a sports business entity has also launched its campaign to condemn racism and increase inclusivity in the world’s most elite form of motorsport with the #WeRaceAsOne initiative. It also stands to show support for frontline workers around the world who have faced the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our first race in Austria at the start of July is a big moment for our sport after nearly four months of no racing. While it is an important moment for the Formula 1 community it is also a time to recognise the issues that are bigger than any one sport or country. The #WeRaceAsOne initiative we have launched today, in support of the #PurposeDriven Movement launched by the FIA last week, is our way of saying thank you to the bravery and unity everyone around the world has shown during this unprecedented time. It will also be a platform for Formula 1 to come together and achieve results against the most important issues facing us as a sport and the world. That is why at our first race in Austria Formula 1 will stand united to say loud and clear that racism must end. We will show our full support in fighting inequality throughout the weekend and accelerate our own efforts to make Formula 1 more diverse and inclusive. As a global sport we must represent the diversity and social concerns of our fans, but we also need to listen more and understand what needs to be done and get on with delivering.”
Chase Carey, Chairman and CEO of Formula 1
Renault had a cool all-black livery for pre-season testing but the R.S.20 will race in the usual yellow-black theme. It does look different from last year’s car thanks to the reworked front-end aero kit. The team is yet to announce Daniel Ricciardo’s replacement for 2021 as the Aussie will be heading for McLaren. Renault is eager to overcome the failings of its 2019 season and has announced it’ll be bringing a heavily upgraded package for the first race despite the delays due to lockdown.
The Austrian GP weekend of July 3-5 is almost here. Which team are you rooting for? Do you think Max Verstappen will take the win once again with an Alpha Tauri on the podium as well? What are your plans to enjoy race day? Let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to subscribe to The Auto Loons for more updates and automotive content.
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