Mercedes has removed the covers off its new-liveried 2023 Formula 1 car at a launch event at Silverstone that the team hopes will return it to the front of the field.
Having won eight constructors’ championships on the bounce, Mercedes suffered its worst season for a decade as it slipped to third in the 2022 standings.
The Brackley-based team was severely plagued by its battle to eradicate the porpoising from the W13 in the first half of the year under F1’s new regulations, leaving it playing catch up to its rivals for the rest of the campaign.
Once the issues were tamed, Mercedes looked more of a potent threat in the latter stages of the season – a point proved when it secured its one and only victory at the penultimate race in Brazil.
Mercedes is now targeting a return to form in 2023, pinning hopes that its new challenger can propel it back into contention for the world championship this year.
The W14 is an evolution of its predecessor, retaining the radical ‘zero sidepod’ concept introduced before last year’s season opener in Bahrain.
The German manufacturer returned to its iconic silver colours last year after running a black anti-racism livery in 2020 and 2021, and this year’s car reverts back to an all-black colour scheme for “weight-saving” reasons.
Mercedes is sticking with the same driver line-up for 2023 of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and one-time grand prix winner George Russell.
Hamilton suffered the worst season of his career last season as he failed to win a race or claim a pole position for the first time in his illustrious career, falling down to sixth in the drivers’ championship.
Russell impressed in his first year at the team, proving a consistent points scorer over the season, including 19 top-five finishes and a maiden victory at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Mercedes will give the W14 a shakedown run at Silverstone on Wednesday before it heads to Bahrain for pre-season testing, which takes place from February 23-25.
