Why is Mercedes F1 team called Silver Arrows? German team's iconic name explored

The Mercedes F1 team is also known as 'Silver Arrows'. However, not many new fans might know about the history of the name, and why it has become so popular and synonymous with the British-German team. Surprisingly, the origin of the name dates back to two decades before F1 even existed.

In 1934, the international governing body of motor sports imposed a maximum weight limit of 750 kg on Grand Prix cars. However, when Mercedes-Benz brought their new W25 car for the Eifelrennen race at the Nurburgring, it allegedly recorded 751 kg.

Hence, the racing manager at the time, Alfred Neubauer, and driver Manfred von Brauchitsch had an idea to scrape off the white paint on the car to reduce weight, exposing the shining silver aluminum beneath it. That allowed them to win the Eifelrennen race, and the name 'Silver Arrows' was born.

Though this story was told by Neubauer himself in 1958, there's hardly any evidence to prove that it's true. Another origin story of the team's name emerged, depicting how von Brauchitsch raced a streamlined silver SSKL on AVUS track in 1932, which was nicknamed Silver Arrows' on the live coverage.

The name Silver Arrows was once again brought into the limelight when the Mercedes F1 team announced the W14 car for the 2023 season. The team went back to their famous black livery from 2020 and 2021. However, the black livery was more of a technical choice than a stylistic one.

Since all modern F1 cars are made of black carbon fiber, the British-German team implemented the black livery to reduce weight by applying as little paint as possible while making the livery aesthetically pleasing. That was a nod to the famous Neubauer weight-reducing story, which was told several decades ago.

After the name emerged between 1934 and 1939, it was also applied to Mercedes-Benz F1 and sports cars in 1954 and 1955. Then it was used for Sauber Group C prototypes that raced at Le Mans in the late 1980s. Even silver McLaren-Mercedes F1 cars from the 1990s and 2000s were nicknamed 'Silver Arrows' because of their shiny silver livery.

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Mercedes team boss acknowledges Lewis Hamilton's W14 concerns

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has recently addressed the seat position issues in the W14, which Lewis Hamilton has been vocal about.

Wolff explained that the team will work on the seat position and make the car more comfortable for the seven-time world champion. Ahead of the Australian GP, he had said:

“We are looking at the big concept of the driver position, (which) is obviously one of the most important (things). Not only in terms of weight distribution, aerodynamics, etcetera but also (it is) where the driver has the best feeling in the car, which is something where Lewis is very vocal. And when a seven-time World Champion has an opinion, it is important to listen to it.”

Hamilton feels that he's sitting too far forward in the W14, which is causing him discomfort while driving the car. The team might bring new upgrade parts that allow them to slightly change the position of the cockpit.