George Russell has just taken delivery of his $4.2 million (AUD) Mercedes-AMG ONE — a street-legal Formula 1 car with DRS, a hybrid powertrain pulled straight from the grid, and just 275 examples built globally.
But while the performance is predictably outrageous, it’s the colour that caught our eye: navy blue. Understated. Underappreciated. And deeply unfashionable — unless, of course, you know exactly what you’re doing.
“MY DREAM CAR!!!” Russell wrote on Instagram, posing with the AMG ONE near his home in Monaco. “So honoured to own this car — it’s been a dream of mine ever since I joined Mercedes F1 back in 2017. Crazy that the engine is a modified version of our 2015 F1 car — the first ever Mercedes F1 car I drove. What a beast!!!”
He’s not exaggerating. The AMG ONE packs 1,063 hp, goes from 0 to 200km/h in under seven seconds, and comes loaded with active aero and hybrid tech adapted from Mercedes’ 2015 W06 F1 car — the same era Russell cut his teeth in. But behind the stats and engineering flex lies a more subtle choice: colour.
The Psychology Behind Car Colour Choice
Globally, most new cars are white, black or grey — practical, predictable, and safe. Blue doesn’t even make the top three. And yet, navy blue in particular is a designer’s favourite. From Porsche’s Gentian Blue to BMW’s Tanzanite, it’s a colour that rewards attention, playing with light, shade and form in a way flat blacks never can. It’s not for show-offs. It’s for people who understand restraint.
And that’s precisely what Russell’s navy AMG ONE represents: a hypercar with the soul of an F1 monster, dressed like a gentleman, which is very George Russell, all gentleman-like.
The AMG ONE: From Track to Tarmac
Russell’s new pride and joy isn’t just rare — it’s the ultimate Mercedes flex. Built using a heavily reworked version of the F1 engine he once drove, the AMG ONE is effectively a trophy for those in Mercedes’ inner circle. It’s why names like Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Nico Rosberg, and David Coulthard are also on the owners list. Hamilton even bought two — one for himself and one for his dad.
For Russell, it joins an already enviable garage that includes a 1970 Mercedes 280 SL, an AMG G63, a C63S, an SL63, and a GT S Coupe. But even among that lineup, the AMG ONE stands apart.
Why Men Rarely Choose Navy And Why They Should
Navy isn’t the obvious choice for a hypercar. It doesn’t scream for attention at traffic lights. It’s not the hero colour in a configurator. But that’s the point. Choosing navy blue means you don’t need your car to do the talking — because you’ve already made it. In colour psychology, navy is linked with stability, depth and quiet confidence. For someone like Russell — 3 wins, 5 poles, 18 podiums and 787 career points — the shade says more than any decal ever could.
Quiet Luxury, Where Subtlety Is the Real Flex
There’s a reason you don’t see navy blue splashed across posters and TVCs — it’s not a shouty shade. But when applied to the most advanced road car Mercedes-AMG has ever built, it becomes something else entirely: a power move disguised as discretion.
So the next time you find yourself gravitating to the usual suspects — black, white, silver — take a beat. Because as George Russell proves, the boldest choice you can make might just be the one no one else is thinking about.
Navy isn’t boring. It’s bloody brilliant.
