Mercedes swaps silver for blue at Austin as Antonelli eyes F1 title

Mercedes arrives at the Circuit of the Americas for the United States Grand Prix carrying a one-off blue livery on its W17, with team principal Toto Wolff acknowledging that rookie Kimi Antonelli has a chance to clinch the Formula 1 world championship on Sunday.

The striking colour swap was developed in partnership with MANUFAKTUR, the Mercedes-Benz personalisation programme that allows customers to order bespoke paint finishes, materials and handcrafted details on road cars. The nose of the W17 is the most prominent showcase of the new shade, replacing the team’s iconic silver that has defined its cars for over a decade.

Both drivers will carry the theme into the cockpit. George Russell will wear a vintage blue race suit while Antonelli steps out in steel blue, and each has been assigned a Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe finished to match their respective suits. The team’s garage at COTA will also receive a MANUFAKTUR makeover for the weekend.

It is the second special livery Mercedes has produced in three races. At Sepang two rounds ago, the team marked its long-standing title partnership with Petronas by swapping the positions of its silver and turquoise colours on the car.

Mercedes noted that roughly half of all cars it sells in the United States are ordered with at least one MANUFAKTUR feature, making the Austin race a natural stage for the brand activation.

“Austin will also be an important weekend for us off track, with a number of commercial activities taking place across the city,” Wolff said in the team’s race preview. “At the heart of that will be AMG and the MANUFAKTUR takeover, bringing to life the performance, craftsmanship and individuality of the wider Mercedes family throughout the weekend.”

Wolff was measured when asked about the championship picture. “The United States Grand Prix begins another demanding triple-header,” he said. “There is plenty at stake, but we won’t get ahead of ourselves. The priority is the weekend in front of us: execute well, maximise our performance and take each race as it comes.”