- Mercedes is the latest team to reveal their 2023 Formula One car, the W14, ahead of a warm-up run at Silverstone.
- Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were joined by new reserve signing Mick Schumacher to unveil a black W14
- Hamilton and Russell are set to test the car today
Mercedes is the latest team to reveal their 2023 Formula One car, the W14, ahead of a warm-up run at Silverstone.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were joined by new reserve signing Mick Schumacher to unveil a black W14, the car they hope will put them back in contention for the championship.
Mercedes finished third in the Constructors’ Championship last season, more than 200 points behind Red Bull with their bouncing W13.
The new car, an adaptation of last year’s W13 with Mercedes having learned many hard lessons, retains the predecessor’s zero-pod design.
Last season, Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff hinted that the team would stick with the philosophy, saying that the team needed to “find our own path, because if you want to win, and you want to win races and World Championships, you don’t get there by copying everyone else’s design.”
As a result, the zero-pods were granted a reprieve.
Mercedes unveiled a black car.|PHOTO: Mercedes|
Porpoising issues addressed?
It’s one that the drivers hope will have very little if any, porpoising.
Mercedes lost the Constructors’ Championship to Red Bull last season, their bouncing W13 unable to compete for race wins, let alone the World Championship.
It took Mercedes a significant amount of time to resolve this, after which they could finally focus on improving the car, with the team making significant progress in the latter half of 2022.
Those are the lessons that have been incorporated into this year’s W14, though Mercedes has chosen to retain the zero-pods of last season with this year’s all-black car.
However, they are slightly wider, as is the engine cover.
Mercedes’ other contribution to the party last season was the design of the slot gap separators on their front wing, which the team displayed in the Austin pit lane.
However, this was prohibited, and the team was forced to make changes before running it in FP1 at the Mexican Grand Prix.
The reasoning was that the rules at the time stated that the separators could not provide an aero boost; they were only for mechanical, structural, or measurement reasons.
Back in the mix
Lewis Hamilton looks to fight for the championship this season.|PHOTO: F1|
This season, Hamilton hopes to be back in the mix, chasing a record-breaking eighth World title.
The first task, however, is to return to the top step of the podium after missing out last year, which marked his first season in Formula One without a race win.
Both of the 2023 race drivers, Hamilton and Russell, are set to test the car today, with Mercedes following up the launch with a 100km shakedown.
Russell, meanwhile, wants to add to his Sao Paulo Grand Prix victory, with pundits predicting that he will be the man to lead Mercedes’ charge this season.
“We’re all here to win, that’s why we’re here,” Russell added.
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