Image Gallery

From W01 to W11 – which Mercedes livery is your favourite?

10 February 2020

2010: Mercedes' first modern Grand Prix challenger, the MGP W01, was born out of a buyout of shock 2009 champions Brawn GP. Drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher took the team to fourth in the championship, but would have to wait for a race win. On his return to F1 after a three-year hiatus, Michael Schumacher said: "It has been a lot of effort into this design. Mercedes has tried to create a lot of memories from the past to replicate what is the Silver Arrow..."

2011: A bigger splash of green was added to the dominant silver in 2011, in deference to title sponsor Petronas. It was a second winless year, but the team did finish fourth in the championship.

2012: It was more of the same for 2012 with the most noticeable visual difference a bigger step on the nose to comply with the new regulations. Although the team finished only fifth in the table, Nico Rosberg delivered their first pole and win of the modern era in China.

2013: The Mercedes W04 took three wins and finished second in the championship, Mercedes' best season in F1 yet - and a sign of things to come. "I could barely sleep last night. It's quite exciting for us, the launch of the new car... it's a dream for me to be back here as [Rosberg's] team mate," said Lewis Hamilton who replaced the retiring Michael Schumacher.

2014: The Mercedes W05 ushered in not only a new era of F1, but a new era of dominance as Mercedes took 16 wins, 701 points and Hamilton clinched his second drivers' championship. Livery-wise, the team employed a darker silver colour at the back of the car on the engine cover.

2015: Lewis Hamilton took Mercedes' second title in a row and his third drivers' championship in the W06, beating Rosberg - but the German would come back to win the final three GPs of the season.

2016: "I’m absolutely focused and determined that this can be my year," said Nico Rosberg. And he was right. He beat Hamilton to take his first and only F1 championship, delivering Mercedes a third consecutive triumph, before he shocked the F1 world by retiring at the end of the season.

2017: After Rosberg's unexpected retirement, Hamilton would come back in the W08 alongside Valtteri Bottas. The Briton would take the title with nine wins, and deliver Mercedes another double triumph. The livery was lightened once again, with the drivers' names and numbers displayed on the shark fin at the rear of the car.

2018: Hamilton matched Juan Manuel Fangio in the W09 as he took his fifth title and Mercedes also clinched their fifth constructors' championship. "The engineers have done a phenomenal job – I’m really proud and grateful for all the hard work that’s gone in. I’m fit and ready to take [the new car] where it needs to go," said Hamilton at the W09's launch.

2019: The W10 saw a return to a darker livery and the addition of the ‘blanket’ of three-pointed stars at the rear of the car. On track, it was another world beater, as Hamilton took a sixth title and Mercedes a sixth constructors' championship in another incredible year for the Silver Arrows.

Mercedes paid tribute to 125 years of their marque in motorsport with a special livery for the 2019 German GP. It hinted at the story of Mercedes stripping the white paint off their W25 to save weight in 1934. The team explained: "Without the white paint, the metal bodywork of the car was exposed, giving it a silver look: the first Silver Arrow was born." Hamilton finished ninth and Bottas retired in what was a classic race.

1 / 12

2010: Mercedes' first modern Grand Prix challenger, the MGP W01, was born out of a buyout of shock 2009 champions Brawn GP. Drivers Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher took the team to fourth in the championship, but would have to wait for a race win. On his return to F1 after a three-year hiatus, Michael Schumacher said: "It has been a lot of effort into this design. Mercedes has tried to create a lot of memories from the past to replicate what is the Silver Arrow..."

Mercedes have become the second team after Haas to reveal the look of their 2020 F1 car as they announced INEOS as a principal sponsor at the Royal Automobile Club in London, on Monday.

With a dash of red new for this year, the Silver Arrows look as sharp as ever in their quest to clinch a record seventh constructors' championship, while Lewis Hamilton will take the wheel hoping to equal Michael Schumacher's seven drivers' championships.

From the W01 in 2010 to the W11 in 2020, silver has dominated the livery designs of each Mercedes since they returned to the sport as a full constructor, but which livery is your favourite? Vote in the poll below – and take our tricky quiz to test your mettle on car launches of the past.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Coming Up

Feature

From magic in Melbourne to Turkish delight – Remembering Bottas’s 10 Grand Prix victories

From W01 to W11 – which Mercedes livery is your favourite?

HAVE YOUR SAY

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

Coming Up