George Russell brings back the red Mercedes that dominated the Targa Florio a hundred years ago

He must have felt the same thrill as Christian Werner, winner of the 1924 Targa Florio, when George Russell arrived in Brisighella, Italy, amidst a crowd, with the Mercedes Indy that conquered the Targa Florio a hundred years ago. The event of last May 15th delivered a dual message: Admiration from the organizers of the prestigious prize, which commemorates Lorenzo Bandini, for the young British Formula 1 driver racing with Mercedes. The second, surprising and unexpected, the discovery of the just-restored Mercedes Benz Indy with the mastery and expertise that distinguishes the Mercedes-Benz Classic department.

George Russell, behind the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz Indy that participated in the 1924 Targa Florio.

George Russell, who also drove on the Imola track, thanked the Municipality of Brisighella and the organizers of the Prize, expressing his surprise at the driving performance and power of this rare specimen representing a milestone in Mercedes-Benz's motorsport history. Its engine, just two liters with a compressor, already delivered over 120 horsepower for a car weight of just over a thousand kilograms. Among the curiosities accompanying the story of this car is its color. Seeing the restoration photos, one is struck by the image of a Mercedes-Benz Classic specialist painting the car red during reassembly. This curiosity also accompanied visitors to the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart, where the small Indy is usually exhibited on a platform reminiscent of the banked curves of tracks, alongside Mercedes' most famous racing and record cars.

Christian Werner's Mercedes-Benz Indy number 10, winner of the 1924 Targa Florio, is exhibited at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.

These cars were typically white or silver, according to the rule that mandated these colors for German cars since pre-war times. So why red? In 1924, three red Indy set off for distant Sicily. Italian racing cars, according to the same rule, had to be red, like the French blue and the British green. Concerned about the possible exuberance of a crowd lining the lengthy circuit, cheering for Italian cars and drivers, Mercedes' idea was brilliant: to make people believe that the three Mercedes were also Italian and thus welcomed with the warm enthusiasm of the island during the race. Ingenious, certainly, this also contributed to Mercedes' success in 1924.

George Russell receives the Bandini Trophy in Brisighella, commemorating the Italian driver who passed away in 1967.