How Mercedes’ rejection created Formula 1’s famous pink livery

The sponsorship idea Mercedes turned down

Formula 1’s famous pink livery began with a sponsorship opportunity that Mercedes did not want. Otmar Szafnauer, who led the Silverstone-based Force India and later Racing Point teams during their pink era, has revealed how Best Water Technology’s approach ultimately transformed his own team’s identity.

Speaking on the High Performance Racing podcast, Szafnauer said BWT chief executive Andreas Weissenbacher chose pink after attending a water technology trade show in Frankfurt. Almost every rival filtration company was using blue branding, so Weissenbacher wanted a colour that would make BWT immediately recognisable.

The company first approached Mercedes, the reigning world champion at the time. The response was blunt. “The Mercedes board said, ‘We’re the silver arrows, not the pink arrows,’” Szafnauer recalled. Mercedes ultimately rejected the idea of becoming the “pink arrows”.

That decision did not end BWT’s Formula 1 ambitions. Instead, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff directed the sponsor towards Szafnauer, creating an introduction that would have a lasting visual impact on the championship. Wolff’s role in the deal also features among the wider stories surrounding his Mercedes leadership, including this recent look at his assessment of the team.

Szafnauer’s gamble

Wolff did not take a financial cut for arranging the introduction, although Szafnauer joked that he bought the Mercedes chief a meal as a thank-you. The real risk, however, fell on Szafnauer and his team.

Within two weeks of speaking to Weissenbacher, Szafnauer had to decide whether the cars would be painted pink for the season-opening race. The contract had not been signed and BWT had not yet paid any money. Changing the livery also meant removing the Indian flag, leaving the team exposed if the promised sponsorship failed to materialise.

“I rolled the dice,” Szafnauer said, conscious that team owner Vijay Mallya would not be pleased if the team arrived with pink cars but no sponsor payment. He trusted Weissenbacher, made the call and went ahead with the colour change.

The gamble paid off. BWT kept its word and made the payment, marking the beginning of one of Formula 1’s most distinctive liveries. What Mercedes saw as a mismatch with its silver identity became a defining visual signature for Force India and Racing Point—and a reminder that, in F1 sponsorship, a bold rejection can sometimes create an even more recognisable partnership elsewhere.

The sponsorship idea Mercedes turned down