Toto Wolff helped facilitate Force India's pink BWT sponsorship

Former Force India and Racing Point team boss Otmar Szafnauer has revealed how Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff facilitated the team's iconic pink livery partnership with BWT.

BWT, a water technology company, had initially approached Mercedes for sponsorship. The company sought to use pink to stand out from the predominantly blue branding used by other competitors. However, Mercedes declined the proposal to maintain its traditional silver identity, with the board stating, “Somos as Flechas de Prata, não as Flechas Rosa” (“We are the Silver Arrows, not the Pink Arrows”).

To prevent BWT from leaving Formula 1 entirely, Wolff directed the company to Szafnauer. Szafnauer describes the period as a high-risk gamble, noting he had only two weeks to decide whether to repaint the cars for the Melbourne race before a contract was signed or any payment was received. He ultimately trusted BWT CEO Andreas Weissenbacher, a decision that resulted in one of the most recognizable visual identities in the sport.