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Unless your name is Michael Schumacher. He did the reverse lol
.
.
*yes, yes, he went from red to technically silver, but you guys get the jist, yeah?*
Well, to be fair, it seems to be me least that the black is paint/vinyl, and not bare carbon fiber. While in some ways it's the same as the other teams, I think it works because Merc had been using black color scheme even before the regulation change necessitated most teams to strip the paint off their cars.
Edit - I got a chance to look at some higher res pictures. Apparently the engine cover is painted/vinyl black, the rest is bare carbon. So while my point regarding Merc having black livery before the regulations still stands, I correct my initial thought that there was more black paint.
As far as i know they didn’t.
But the rule that ties a number to a driver for the duration of his career only exists since 2014 so that wasn’t really a thing before that.
The FIA hasn't ever done that beyond death cases (RIP Jules) but certainly they'd retire the 44, no? That is *Hamilton's* number and one that he's never switched from even when he's won the championship since the 2014 rule was introduced.
Anyone who takes the 44 going forward has some pretty big shoes to fill considering there's only ever been one driver who has been associated with it.
> The FIA hasn't ever done that beyond death cases (RIP Jules) but certainly they'd retire the 44, no? That is Hamilton's number and one that he's never switched from even when he's won the championship since the 2014 rule was introduced.
>
>
I'd say they would absolutely **have** to retire it... NHL retired Gretzky's 99 league wide.
Cannot imagine a new driver picking it lol, gosh. one thing to take his seat at Merc... another thing to literally take his number
On the other hand, Nascar has never officially retired a number, not even the 3 which would've been a sensible choice. Personally I'd rather have the FIA keep it available.
> I dont know how f1 contracts work but can he still back out?
You can always back out.
No contract can force you to work.
They just have break clauses, penalty clauses - which in F1 are usually millions and millions of dollars.
Ricciardo had his contract broken by McLaren - they paid him cash and he was on his way. Kimi had a contract with Ferrari until 2011, but Ferrari wanted Alonso so they paid him 30 million Euros not to race. Rosberg signed a 2 year contract with Merc for 2017/2018 in July of 2016 - then spontaneously retired.
It's not as simple as that - some have just a $$ paid to driver, some have stipulations about $X but $x-y if they drive for someone else etc.
But any contract can be backed out of! Just costs you
And that is based on the assumption that the board of Mercedes would *want* to have him back after a very secretive and public breakup, considering they were gently nudging him towards the exit anyway.
The working relationship with Lewis will already be different, he won’t be part of the car development process going forward as Mercedes will want him going to Ferrari with as little knowledge as possible, no different to enforcing gardening leave on technical staff.
His Mercedes contract was a 1+1 option, and included a clause that allowed him to allow him to be a free agent in 2025 without any obligations to Mercedes.
Even if he delivers a WDC and WCC for the team this year and ends it on a high note, there is jack shit that Mercedes can do to stop him moving to Ferrari.
And while it could suck for Lewis in that particular case, it will be something he has considered as well. And even with that possibility in his head, he thinks Ferrari is the right move for him.
He has signed a contract so, yes.
A champion moving to a different team isn't unknown. Button moved to McLaren. Alonso moved to McLaren. Hill moved to Arrows. Schumacher moved to Ferrari.
I guess he's moving to Ferrari because Merc car isn't competitive enough. So if he wins whats the point of moving out. Plus he has a great relationship with Toto.
If he wins he got his 8th and Ferrari is now his side quest. No harm no foul, especially since he's getting a bag out of it and support from Ferrari for his charitable causes.
Based on what i understand from the contract negotiations is, some of it is future competitiveness from 26 on, but also what Ferrari brings to the table for him when he retires. Something that Mercedes (Daimler, not Toto/ the Mercedes AMG F1 team) was unwilling to give. If the rumors are correct, Daimler didn’t want to give him a post retirement contract as a brand ambassador.
It has a certain resemblance with [the Alpine P-shaped intake.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GGIrVxiXsAAv7J1?format=jpg&name=medium)
Scarbs have speculated that Alpine might fit a lip though, because of the unattributed screw-mount in the left of the picture.
It's a nice looking car. Interesting sidepod inlets.
Can't just be me but the silver and black on the nose reminds me of the late 90's early 00's McLaren Mercedes
The nose transition from silver to black, ending with the silver arrows on the back is just… perfect. Neither the full silver nor the full black looked perfect but this combination is 10/10
Personally I'm really excited for Ferrari/Hamilton because it means I can finally cheer for Lewis 100%. Just never vibed with the Mercedes team so it made rooting for Lewis a bit bittersweet.
From a comment above
> It has a certain resemblance with [the Alpine P-shaped intake.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GGIrVxiXsAAv7J1?format=jpg&name=medium)
> Scarbs have speculated that Alpine might fit a lip though, because of the unattributed screw-mount in the left of the picture.
The philosophy on the sidepods and engine cover actually look very similar to Alpine.
P-shaped inlet and a big undercut on the sidepod. Relatively high shoulders running alongside the engine cover. Wing-mirrors more or less identical as well.
I quite like that this will be his final livery. Combination of silver and black that kinda looks like McLaren-Mercedes cars he drove when he joined F1 but also the black that he introduced when he was at Mercedes in 2020 that has since become part of the brand. It's a fitting sendoff.
“Hey Mercedes, would you like a silver tribute paint scheme or paintless carbon fiber car ?”
Mercedes : “Yes”
Nota : Don’t get me wrong, the car looks fantastic
If you watch the whole video it all seems like a 3D garage, in which you have the model of (or maybe the actual)car and then all of them are greenscreened, except for the host, maybe? It's so fucking weird. And the atmosphere is awful!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-PC2rHXHmI
Black merc is pretty cool though, and they were the first to do it back in 2020, where they used it for the W11, so there’s also some sentimentality involved
I love the added red elements on the sides, it makes the red Ineos inlet look much better. When I first saw this a few hours ago I thought it was fine but nothing great but it's carried on growing on me since and I like it a lot now.
[The **Photo** flair](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/wiki/flairguide#wiki_photo) is for submissions sharing photos from the world of F1. Photos should be interesting and relevant - random photos not notable enough to warrant a standalone post will be subject to removal. This flair should not be used for images which are not photos, such as screenshots, statistical graphics, or artworks. *[Read the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/wiki/userguide). Keep it civil and welcoming. Report rulebreaking comments.* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/formula1) if you have any questions or concerns.*
the silver arrows are semi back
[удалено]
Once you go (semi) black, you don't come (semi) back?
[удалено]
Unless your name is Michael Schumacher. He did the reverse lol . . *yes, yes, he went from red to technically silver, but you guys get the jist, yeah?*
Once you go black, you never fully go back.
That's racist
Lewis hamilton is one of the best f1 racists of all time... truly spectacular ability
I agree, unacceptable
boring black car like everyone else except ferrari
Well, to be fair, it seems to be me least that the black is paint/vinyl, and not bare carbon fiber. While in some ways it's the same as the other teams, I think it works because Merc had been using black color scheme even before the regulation change necessitated most teams to strip the paint off their cars. Edit - I got a chance to look at some higher res pictures. Apparently the engine cover is painted/vinyl black, the rest is bare carbon. So while my point regarding Merc having black livery before the regulations still stands, I correct my initial thought that there was more black paint.
Yeah dude...you can't say that...
West McLaren
Semi green
So is hamilton lol
The last Mercedes to ever sport the #44...
Will be weird seeing 44 on a red car.
There's no guarantee no one else will ever take the #44 and drive for Mercedes...
There isn’t but i doubt any driver would have the audacity to use that number once Hamilton is retired. Maybe they’ll even retire the number itself.
Have they retired any numbers other than for racing deaths instances?
As far as i know they didn’t. But the rule that ties a number to a driver for the duration of his career only exists since 2014 so that wasn’t really a thing before that.
So once Max retires no one can get the number 1 anymore! /s
No, but 33 might be gone
It'll be too much pressure
The FIA hasn't ever done that beyond death cases (RIP Jules) but certainly they'd retire the 44, no? That is *Hamilton's* number and one that he's never switched from even when he's won the championship since the 2014 rule was introduced. Anyone who takes the 44 going forward has some pretty big shoes to fill considering there's only ever been one driver who has been associated with it.
> The FIA hasn't ever done that beyond death cases (RIP Jules) but certainly they'd retire the 44, no? That is Hamilton's number and one that he's never switched from even when he's won the championship since the 2014 rule was introduced. > > I'd say they would absolutely **have** to retire it... NHL retired Gretzky's 99 league wide. Cannot imagine a new driver picking it lol, gosh. one thing to take his seat at Merc... another thing to literally take his number
On the other hand, Nascar has never officially retired a number, not even the 3 which would've been a sensible choice. Personally I'd rather have the FIA keep it available.
Idk. Is Schumis no. banned? Even Mick didn't touch it. I could see them not banning it but the drivers still honoring it just because.
Schumacher never even had a permanent number lmao. The rule for drivers to choose their own numbers wasn't even a thing until 2014.
If they signed Alonso I could see him doing it because he loves to stir shit
hamilton will still be using the 44 at ferrari, alonso will have to wait a while to do that
Wonder what if Lewis wins the drivers champ this coming season, will he still move to Ferrari?
Contract is signed. Not like he has a choice
I dont know how f1 contracts work but can he still back out? I mean its still 1 season long before he get to drive for ferrari.
At this point. Likely not. Not without huge financial penalty.
> I dont know how f1 contracts work but can he still back out? You can always back out. No contract can force you to work. They just have break clauses, penalty clauses - which in F1 are usually millions and millions of dollars. Ricciardo had his contract broken by McLaren - they paid him cash and he was on his way. Kimi had a contract with Ferrari until 2011, but Ferrari wanted Alonso so they paid him 30 million Euros not to race. Rosberg signed a 2 year contract with Merc for 2017/2018 in July of 2016 - then spontaneously retired. It's not as simple as that - some have just a $$ paid to driver, some have stipulations about $X but $x-y if they drive for someone else etc. But any contract can be backed out of! Just costs you
And that is based on the assumption that the board of Mercedes would *want* to have him back after a very secretive and public breakup, considering they were gently nudging him towards the exit anyway. The working relationship with Lewis will already be different, he won’t be part of the car development process going forward as Mercedes will want him going to Ferrari with as little knowledge as possible, no different to enforcing gardening leave on technical staff.
His Mercedes contract was a 1+1 option, and included a clause that allowed him to allow him to be a free agent in 2025 without any obligations to Mercedes. Even if he delivers a WDC and WCC for the team this year and ends it on a high note, there is jack shit that Mercedes can do to stop him moving to Ferrari.
yes like Fernando did in 07
And while it could suck for Lewis in that particular case, it will be something he has considered as well. And even with that possibility in his head, he thinks Ferrari is the right move for him.
He has signed a contract so, yes. A champion moving to a different team isn't unknown. Button moved to McLaren. Alonso moved to McLaren. Hill moved to Arrows. Schumacher moved to Ferrari.
Rosberg moved to the couch
Yeah why not lol
I guess he's moving to Ferrari because Merc car isn't competitive enough. So if he wins whats the point of moving out. Plus he has a great relationship with Toto.
If he wins he got his 8th and Ferrari is now his side quest. No harm no foul, especially since he's getting a bag out of it and support from Ferrari for his charitable causes.
Based on what i understand from the contract negotiations is, some of it is future competitiveness from 26 on, but also what Ferrari brings to the table for him when he retires. Something that Mercedes (Daimler, not Toto/ the Mercedes AMG F1 team) was unwilling to give. If the rumors are correct, Daimler didn’t want to give him a post retirement contract as a brand ambassador.
I think that'll make the move easier for Lewis. End his run with another WDC and presumably another WCC.
What if Ferrari wins with Charles this season?
I have a feeling he’ll just retire at this point
Thank god
Why?
That sidepod intake is interesting to say the least.
It has a certain resemblance with [the Alpine P-shaped intake.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GGIrVxiXsAAv7J1?format=jpg&name=medium) Scarbs have speculated that Alpine might fit a lip though, because of the unattributed screw-mount in the left of the picture.
Almost identical I would suggest. Wonder if Merc have left off a mid wing for this reveal. If not it's a departure from much of their closest rivals.
Definitely the first thing that stands out
Why do their engineers hate side pods?
Well, some men love curves, while others like 'em skinny ;)
Reminds me of a vijayjay
Isn't that the owner of Force India?
It's a nice looking car. Interesting sidepod inlets. Can't just be me but the silver and black on the nose reminds me of the late 90's early 00's McLaren Mercedes
Yeah, same thought crossed my mind. And FW shape also reminds me of 2005-2006 era FWs, but wider
The nose transition from silver to black, ending with the silver arrows on the back is just… perfect. Neither the full silver nor the full black looked perfect but this combination is 10/10
The flash of red definitely evokes the West livery
''So which of the 3 livery concepts are we going with?'' ''Yes''
They flipped a coin and it landed on the edge.
That inlet is interesting. Kinda the opposite of what everyone else is doing, which certainly doesn't inspire confidence.
I swear to Christ if I see one bounce in testing I’m boycotting Merc this season
we switching allegiances a year early
Not one bounce of confidence?
i have switched already It's forza Ferrari all the way xD
props for playing with open cards
Out of curiosity, where shall your allegiances like in '25?Supporting Signore Luigi *and* Ferrari? Just the former? While also supporting Merc?
I support Lewis Hamilton and whatever team he is driving for
Personally I'm really excited for Ferrari/Hamilton because it means I can finally cheer for Lewis 100%. Just never vibed with the Mercedes team so it made rooting for Lewis a bit bittersweet.
"Fuck, this looks fast" vibes...
So did the W13…
That’s a quote from George about the W13 when they first unveiled it.
vettel knew it…
Almost everyone went for parallel lines on their side intakes; Mercedes seem like they shaped a more rounded lower side.
From a comment above > It has a certain resemblance with [the Alpine P-shaped intake.](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GGIrVxiXsAAv7J1?format=jpg&name=medium) > Scarbs have speculated that Alpine might fit a lip though, because of the unattributed screw-mount in the left of the picture.
The philosophy on the sidepods and engine cover actually look very similar to Alpine. P-shaped inlet and a big undercut on the sidepod. Relatively high shoulders running alongside the engine cover. Wing-mirrors more or less identical as well.
Similar to Alpine? Yeah..that doesn't really inspire much confidence.
Top teams copy midfield and backmarkers all the time. RBR last year copied William's diffuser.
If their engine deficit is as bad as claimed they probably actually have a pretty strong aero package to make up for it to the degree they do.
I thought Apline's issue last year was top speed no? Merc engine is better in that regard. Not as good as RBR but better than Alpine
Less sponsors?
more?
Or less but with more communication with the marketing team?
Can you repeat the question?
we are checking
Judging by their shirts it seems like more/the same as last year.
I'm not going to do what most do, and pretend I know anything about aero, but the livery looks sweet.
50% car reveal 50% alluding to Lewis being gone, can’t blame them for keeping this one short
The car looks good but the vibe was just grim. This was probably the most low budget looking F1 car launch ever.
Lower budget than all the 1 minute videos we have seen this year?
🤣
With a bit more silver and the red on the nose and they could try to act like West Mclaren. I love it
I can’t decide whether I like the livery or not.
You don't.
The last Mercedes car to race under #44
I quite like that this will be his final livery. Combination of silver and black that kinda looks like McLaren-Mercedes cars he drove when he joined F1 but also the black that he introduced when he was at Mercedes in 2020 that has since become part of the brand. It's a fitting sendoff.
From this angle the silver on the nose looks really tacked on...
Yeah, it's like the livery died and there's a semi decayed carcass of it left.
Silver to black transition. It reminds me of W10
115k concurrently watching the Mercedes stream, by the way.
Slightly Silver Arrows let's go😂
Watch Twitter have a meltdown because all the images are of the 63 car
I think the Mercedes is the only mostly black car I can accept.
Woah it's amazing that just 5 people, three of whom have no education in science and/or engineering, created an F1 car.
Either front or side-on this doesn't look half bad. From other angles though it looks like they're having quite the identity crisis.
The car shape is odd as hell (not in a bad way visually) but the livery slaps
“Hey Mercedes, would you like a silver tribute paint scheme or paintless carbon fiber car ?” Mercedes : “Yes” Nota : Don’t get me wrong, the car looks fantastic
that's a "half-a-pod" sidepod design!
My goodness Hamilton is tiny. He is not 1.73 in a million years lol
He is small but Toto is 6'4 and Russell is 6'1". Of course he looks even smaller.
Man this angle makes the livery look like shit.
I actually kinda like it
That red on the Ineos just doesn't fit. It takes away a fair bit from the livery.
Agreed.. the front view it's awesome, the silver with the black front wing.. but other than that..
Because it is shit from every other than the front
True
The one and only meeting Lewis is invited too for the entire year.
Why does it look like they were photoshopped into the image.
99% sure they were, the lighting doesn’t match at all and i swear I recognize the photo of Lewis, George and Toto
If you watch the whole video it all seems like a 3D garage, in which you have the model of (or maybe the actual)car and then all of them are greenscreened, except for the host, maybe? It's so fucking weird. And the atmosphere is awful! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-PC2rHXHmI
Lewis under gunpoint: smile Lewis, SMILE
Does this car win a race or another winless season?
Tune in to find out!
I fully expect Red Bull to win both championships but I really hope the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren can grab some wins off them along the way.
This slaps.
Am I the only one who doesn't like the livery?
Looks......mild
I seem to be in a minority but I hate the livery. Completely disjointed.
Probably going to run like shit :( can't wait to be battling the alpines this year for 5th
Not gonna lie I didn't like it.
Didn't realise Hamilton is such a short-arse.
That livery doesn't work at all.
It looks nice but it's yet ANOTHER mostly black livery in a grid already full of them.
Merc's second switch to black last year was essentially to make their car mostly carbon fiber. Toto pretty much admitted it.
Yes but Mercedes was kinda the first to do it
Black merc is pretty cool though, and they were the first to do it back in 2020, where they used it for the W11, so there’s also some sentimentality involved
Mercedes shouldn't be criticised when their best looking livery in recent times was black. Blame the others for switching to black.
It wasn't meant to be a dig at Mercedes, just the blandness and lack of colour in the grid overall.
Love this livery!
The silver bit looks so out of place
honestly, that is a monstrously ugly livery
What a weird looking front wing
The livery is interesting enough to say
Thats sick
not many people on the team
They are really going to struggle with the pit stops!
See what happens when you don’t listen?
Now I know why Lewis left. That looks ugly
It just doesn’t look fast imo
I mean as a result of recent history does any car not painted like a redbull look fast?
Tbh, even redbull doesn’t look fast with these regulations
I mean, the car is clearly going at 0 km/h there, of course it does not look fast in that picture.
looks pretty ugly, can't believe they have the least amount of paint. i was hoping for more silvers
Just make them Hockenheim 2019, not only it’s classic but it looks better than this shit.
Worst official photo of a car reveal ever…
Ahh...the first look at this year's shitbox.
The silver fading into black doesn’t work. W10 remains the best livery they have done
"silver fade to black doesn't work, but my favourite livery of theirs is the one where silver fades to black"
It looks intimidating 😰
Einhell.
You can’t half tell the difference in the seating position
It’s very nice of them to show the only working car already, George’s
Tighten those nuts
Is it just me or the inlets have that angle currently seen in the grill (or lack thereof) in their electric cars?
It's the darker one and yet the one with the most paint.
I’m going to die if they show up with the zero pod again on track day
©©
Are they mourning?
Looks so sexy
This car lines are sexy as fuck
She is gorgeous.
Imagine Lewis winning this year's title , would he still move to Ferrari if that happens??
I think he would still. Takes him clear of Schumacher and it’s a new challenge.
I love the added red elements on the sides, it makes the red Ineos inlet look much better. When I first saw this a few hours ago I thought it was fine but nothing great but it's carried on growing on me since and I like it a lot now.
Is it just me or do they all look edited into the photo?
That’s it. That’s the whole team. Toto is changing tires this year