Mercedes go black

Mercedes has announced that it will race in allblack cars for the 2020 Formula One season as it pledges to fight racism and improve the diversity of its team. Six-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton and team-mate Valtteri Bottas will also race in black overalls for the season, which starts on Monday in Austria after a long delay caused by the coronavirus pandemic. ‘‘The Black Lives Matter movement has shone a searching light on how much we need new measures and actions in the fight against racism and all forms of discrimination,’’ Mercedes announced in its colour switch from silver.