Mercedes is planning to run a commemorative livery at this weekend's German Grand Prix to celebrate 125 years of motorsport.
The 1894 Paris–Rouen is considered to be the very first 'motor race', which saw 21 entrants race the 126 km distance between the two French cities on July 22.
The race was officially won by Albert Lemaître, driving a Peugeot Type 7, running a 1,282 cc V-twin Daimler engine, which produced 3.7 horsepower – a far cry from the 1,000hp machines of today!
This weekend therefore marks Mercedes' first motorsport victory as an engine supplier and will also serve as their 200th Grand Prix start in Formula 1, which will be celebrated at their home race, the 2019 German GP, of which Mercedes-Benz is title sponsor.
The team is set to run a commemorative livery to celebrate the occasion, though it's not been confirmed yet as to what this will entail.
"This year’s race is a very special event: we’re the title sponsor of the Mercedes-Benz Großer Preis von Deutschland and the race will mark the 200th start for Mercedes in Formula 1," said team boss Toto Wolff.
"We will also celebrate a remarkable anniversary in Hockenheim: 125 years of motorsport. In 1894, the world’s first car race was held from Paris to Rouen and the winning machine had at its heart an engine manufactured to the design of Gottlieb Daimler.
"It was the start of a great motorsport tradition that continues to this day and we are incredibly proud to write the next chapter in this legacy.
"We will run a commemorative livery to pay tribute to our heritage."
The team has also updated its social media profile photo to feature the logo Mercedes-Benz's used in 1894.
#NewProfilePic ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
Giving our channels the vintage feel as we celebrate #Motorsport125 at the #GermanGP!! pic.twitter.com/zGxVQLWIYZ
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) July 22, 2019
