Mercedes are only a couple of days away from unveiling their 2022 challenger, the W13, which will be utilized to go up against Red Bull Racing and possibly, Ferrari, as well. Hence, amidst a crucial launch event ahead, their latest recruit, George Russell, has upped the ante with a stunning-looking helmet design sporting colors very unlike any of his previous designs.

Russell loves Red and has often portrayed it as the dominant color when it comes to his helmet design over the years. But, come 2022, that doesn’t seem to be the case, as black has managed to supersede red instead. Of course, there is an emotional reason behind this unexpected move by the young Briton.

George Russell unboxes his 2022 F1 helmet

Russell, who will compete in F1 as a Mercedes driver for the first time since Sakhir 2020, unveiled a matte black crash helmet for the 2022 season through a video.

“Hey, guys! Here is my 2022 Mercedes helmet. Quite different in colors compared to what I’ve had previously; Kind of bold black this season. And the reason for that is because I wanted to bring forward a really bold color, I’ve mainly had Red on my helmets previously,” he said in the video.

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Reason behind ‘No Red’ in Mercedes

Russell acknowledged that his decision to scrap Red off his helmet had everything to do with Michael Schumacher. During the seven-time world champion’s final F1 years at Mercedes, he sported helmets that were mostly of the color Red. Hence, to sustain the German’s legacy, Russell apparently decided to go with black instead.

“A Red helmet in a Mercedes, I thought, was very Michael Schumacher, and I really wanted to respect that and go in a different direction. So, I’ve brought forward the Black. I’ve got Red on the side with the CrowdStrike and bringing forth this Blue detailing which I really, really love,” he said.

“And it’s probably something you’ll see a bit more of throughout this year. Obviously, got my GR63 logo on the side, my number on the top, Mercedes star on the front. And it looks really cool and really aggressive. So, I hope you like it. You’ll be seeing it soon in the W13 at Silverstone.”

Overall, a very refreshing journey awaits Russell who has so far spent his F1 years driving underwhelming cars. Hence, now with a potentially title-winning car in hand, can the 2018 F2 world champion lift his first championship trophy in F1 this year?

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