Soumil Arora
The last few weeks have seen the world around us witness a tremendous amount of change. Around the globe, societies have seen a second coming of sorts with a deep realisation of the rampant racism sadly still existent today. Influential personalities have spoken out, people have marched onto the streets and at last, everyone is having a conversation – a conversation of what we have collectively done wrong for all these years and why change is necessary.
Sport and Society
Eventually, this had to trickle down into the world of sport. Popular footballers took a knee in support of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign before their games, NASCAR’s Bubba Wallace took an active role in spreading the message. When a suspected noose was found in his garage in Talladega, the entire NASCAR paddock together walked with his car in a powerful message before the Geico 500.
In my eyes, sport and global matters can never be split apart. Sport is an extension of our daily lives, a platform where we can embrace our individuality and truly be ourselves. Many, including myself, often fall back on sports to ease off the relentless pressures of the outside world. That said, when it comes to making a lasting change in the outside world for the better, sport can be far more powerful than many perceive it to be. Just a take look at the story of German and British soldiers playing football with each other on Christmas during World War 1!
Mercedes, Hamilton and the power of sport
Returning to the world of F1, Lewis Hamilton has been at the very forefront of this change. Using his wide social media base effectively, Hamilton has been increasingly vocal about the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign and the need for ending racism. Being Lewis Hamilton though, the six-time world champion was bound to divide opinions. Many criticised his outspoken nature and told him to focus more on the sport while thousands rallied behind him in support of his ideas.
This is what Lewis Hamilton is all about. You can either love him or hate him but you simply cannot ignore him. Now, Mercedes have announced their stand against racism and this perfectly extends back to Lewis’ ideas and actions.
Furthermore, this has been complemented by the ‘Silver Arrows’ changing their race livery for the 2020 F1 Season with a special design in support of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign. This is a powerful statement. Not often do you see major multinational car manufacturers like Mercedes taking such a bold stand towards a social issue. If anything, this only helps cement Mercedes’ reputation in being socially aware and responsible.
A PR Gimmick? Not quite
Yet again though, several F1 fans have dismissed this simply as being a PR Gimmick, with some even going to the extremes, claiming that they shall stop watching Formula One should Mercedes use their new livery.
This perplexes me. Normally big brands like Mercedes tend to stay away from things like this to avoid being on the bad books of any potential customer. Now, when such a big brand has taken a remarkably huge step to try and raise awareness over a grave social issue, people have found a way to criticise them. PR gimmick or not, you have to give it to Mercedes for doing their part to support this movement. To make a lasting global change, everyone, including companies that run the markets must come together and vouch to make a difference. Why shouldn’t these powerful corporations attempt to make a difference in the world of business and in the world of sport?
Sport has the unparalleled ability to unite and make a change and In Formula One, Mercedes have done their bit.This takes some proper courage considering how much outrage they may face.
Digging out the past – unnecessary and irrelevant
However, things don’t quite end here. Another way in which many have given Mercedes a lot of flak is by pointing out that back in the days of the war, Daimler-Benz, the parent company of Mercedes, used POWs as forced labourers to build their cars. This though, is as frivolous as things get. Back in the same period, Enzo Ferrari used to run ‘Auto Avio Construzioni’, a company that produced automobiles for Mussolini’s fascist government too. It is completely irrelevant to compare what happened almost a century ago in one of the most desperate periods that all of humanity has faced with today’s times.
Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton ’s big step towards being the change
All we can do is focus on the here and now and look towards making a brighter future. There are always people who are keen on finding the negative in every positive and they will always be around! Keeping this in mind, Mercedes’ decision to change their livery to support the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign is an extremely courageous and risky but highly commendable move.
As they all say, to see the change, you must be the change. Mercedes have certainly acted in that very direction and that is why their livery change does more good than harm.
