Just Who are the Silver Arrows?

Words: Steve Johnson

Photos: Audi AG, Audi Revolut F1 Team, and Mercedes-Benz Media

As we head into the first race weekend of the 2026 Formula One season, we’d like to clear up a misperception in the media and even with F1 team personnel. It’s their usage of the term “Silver Arrows” to mean only the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team. Now that the Audi Revolut F1 Team is part of the Formula One grid, the term applies to both the Audi and Mercedes teams. History explains why.

The assignment of country colors on racecars dates back 126 years to the first running of the Gordon Bennett Cup race. This race has its own interesting history, so sticking to the point at hand, white was the color assigned to the German entries. It wasn’t until after racing resumed post-World War I that country colors were formally assigned by a race sanctioning body, the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus, the great grandfather of the today’s FIA.

Myth, Urban Legend, or the Truth?

In 1934, the year Grand Prix racing first raced using the 750 Kilogram formula. Cars without the driver, fluids, and wheels could weigh no more the 750 kilograms. Pretty self-explanatory. Before a race, all cars must undergo through scrutineering, a thorough examination to ensure they comply with the rules, and the weight check. Both Auto Unions and Mercedes-Benz came to 1934’s first race at the AVUS track outside of Berlin the last weekend in May. This was Formula Libre race, like today’s IMSA sports car racing it had more then one car class and 750 Kilogram Formula compliance was not enforced. Classes were based on engine size. Both teams took part in the practice sessions, but Mercedes-Benz wasn’t happy with their racecar’s performance nor was lead driver Rudolf Caracciola fit enough to race thus the team withdrew.

The following weekend was the Eifel Grand Prix at the Nurburgring and both teams were back and ready to race. Or were they? This was, again, a Formula Libre race but the Mercedes-Benz Team felt the need to comply with the 750 kg weight limit. In Alfred Neubauer, Mercedes-Benz Team Manager’s biography it was said that the stripping of car’s country color-compliant white paint and body filler was done to get it down to the weight limit. The Auto Union’s Type A racecar was silver for this race as it was for the AVUS race, and as it had been since it’s debut setting speed records in Italy.

We humbly submit that the Auto Union racecars were the original Silver Arrows. But the confusion with the term stems from the fact it was coined by the press early in the 1934 Grand Prix season. At some point the fast, silver German racecars were tagged as the Silver Arrows. But why were the Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz teams allowed to race cars that weren’t white? The answer may be in heraldry.

One source we researched supposes that the people involved in Grand Prix racing, wealthy European businessmen and families, would have known that in heraldry, white and silver are examples of “tincture,” the colors and metals used in coats of arms. The metal argent is silver or white, therefore making the color silver a suitable substitute for white.

So Toto Wolff—if you’re reading this post, please make a public statement or issue a team press release welcoming the other member of the Silver Arrows back to the highest level of motorsport sports. And F1 pundits, also please take note of this quick history lesson and apply the term properly.

We hope to see the Audi Revolut F1 Team rise as quickly to the challenge of competing wheel-to-wheel with Mercedes so that we motorsport fans can re-embrace the begone days of Grand Prix’ Golden Era. The period from 1934 to 1939 when the Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz teams, the original Silver Arrows had fierce on-track battles for Grand Prix dominance. The days we’ve been reliving in stories in quattro Magazine since the Q4_2024 issue. The next two installments will recap the 1936 Grand Prix season. We hope you’ve read and enjoyed these looks back at Audi’s heritage.

Of course, to receive quattro Magazine you must be a member of Audi Club North America. If you are reading this and you’re not a club member, you’ve missed six issues with Silver Arrows stories. But you can fix that problem by joining Audi Club North America today. Once a member, you can read past issues of quattro Magazine to catch-up on your Silver Arrows knowledge. Join up, set-up an account on our website, and read-up! It’s just that easy.