Mercedes has hinted at a radical new-look colour scheme for the 2019 Formula One car it hopes will win a sixth straight world championship.
The German manufacturer will unveil its new car next Wednesday (February 15), five days before pre-season testing begins at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. The team's official Twitter account shared an image of what appeared to be a new front wing with a blue, green and black pattern -- that would be a radical departure from the predominantly silver livery its has carried since returning to the grid in 2010.
The text accompanying the image said: "Silver is so last season...", prompting reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton to respond with a fire emoji.
👀🔥 https://t.co/pFfD2L6BIa
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) February 5, 2019
Mercedes did not elaborate further on plans for the W10 car.
While the tweet suggests a new approach is being taken, the team can launch a car with a different livery to the one used in testing or during the season. Red Bull ran a white and black camouflaged car livery during testing in 2015 and launched its 2018 with a special edition colour scheme before reverting back to a more traditional look when it arrived in Barcelona.
This year's cars will feature several tweaks aimed at increasing overtaking opportunities and improving the quality of racing.