F1 2023 season: Mercedes dominates fans’ votes with black livery

All ten Formula 1 teams have revealed their new liveries for the 2023 season. Over the weekend, more than 80,000 F1 fans voted for their favourite colour schemes and designs.

Livery refers to a design (as on a car) that identifies ownership, according to Merriam-Webster

A breakdown of the votes cast in 2023 showed Mercedes garnered 31 percent, Ferrari scored 19%, Alfa Romeo got 15 percent, Red Bull, at 8% and 5% voted for Aston Martin.

Mercedes, opting to return to their black livery for 2020 and 2021, emerged triumphant this year.

“I’m really delighted that we’ve returned to the black livery,” said Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal and CEO. “Will she be as quick as she appears? I hope so, but it’s undeniable that putting the car on the road is a source of great delight.”

“Over the entire design process, Mercedes AMG examines roughly sixty design proposals, which are subsequently reduced to thirty, ten, and the final design,” said Sam O’Brien, Head Of Design at Mercedes-AMG. “The process starts in July during the Austrian Grand Prix. This is the first time we assess the current year’s livery design, both on and off the track, in addition to seeing the other cars and what the other teams are doing.”

Read also: The ‘Merseries’ of Mercedes

“From there, we select four distinct directions, which will then advance to phases two, three, and four of the design process,” he continued. “The reason it takes six months and there are four design phases is because individuals are simultaneously working on other projects.”

The origins of this year’s livery may be traced back to Mercedes’ original 1934-1939-winning Silver Arrows race vehicle. In the spring of 1934, the Mercedes-Benz W25 was reportedly weighed in at 751 kilogrammes, one kilogramme over the maximum allowable weight.

Alfred Neubauer, the racing manager, and Manfred von Brauchitisch, the driver, alleged that they removed the white paint containing lead in order to reduce the vehicle’s weight. This year, Mercedes made a similar commitment to acquiring the extra pounds by leaving the car’s carbon finish matte. Moreover, the black hue underscores the team’s continuous dedication to the values it outlined two years ago.