Axalta Coating Systems has expanded its role as an Official Team Supplier to Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport at the 2017 Formula OneTM Heineken Chinese Grand Prix, which took place in Shanghai on April 9, 2017 and saw Lewis Hamilton take the checkered flag. Participation in the premier global racing discipline – Formula One – through Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport is a key component of Axalta’s decades-long strategic partnership with motorsports in the U.S., Europe and Latin America, which enables the company to demonstrate the technology and durability of its coatings in high endurance racing environments.

“Axalta and Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport share a commitment to performance and technology,” explained Charlie Shaver, Axalta Chairman and CEO. “Our contribution to the team on the Formula OneTM track is the ultimate test of the innovation and engineering that all of us at Axalta put into our products. We’re excited to have been able to demonstrate that passion for performance with customers at the race in Shanghai and with millions of other racing enthusiasts around the world. Congratulations to Lewis and the entire team on a great win.”

Axalta’s premium Spies Hecker® refinish brand paint is used on the high-impact, instantly-recognizable liveries of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport Silver Arrows race cars. The Championship-winning 2016 Mercedes F1 W07 Hybrid car featured Spies Hecker’s striking, yet lightweight formulation.

Toto Wolff, Executive Director & Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport says, “Our Silver Arrow cars are the highlight of the team’s brand during the race weekends and the finish achieved by our paint shop with the help of these superb products is outstanding. That the paint is lightweight and can contribute to saving weight on the car is a real bonus for us. We look forward to working with Axalta and helping them maximize the global reach of Formula One to share their racing passion.”

The 2017 Mercedes-AMG F1 W08 EQ Power+ race car has 13 colors, none of which are commercially available: five shades of green, three shades of blue, four shades of graphite silver, and the main color, called Stirling Silver after Sir Stirling Moss who drove for Mercedes in 1955. During the season, the team paints thousands of panels and components, as many as 150 in some weeks, so the speed and accuracy of application of the Spies Hecker paint system is vital.

Axalta entered the Chinese coatings market more than 30 years ago. A strategic market for the company, Axalta continues to invest in manufacturing capacity and other resources to expand its ability to meet the needs of customers in the transportation, refinish and industrial sectors.