Mercedes W02 launch – first pictures
2011 F1 cars
Mercedes have launched their 2011 F1 car in Valencia.
Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg pulled the covers off the W02 shortly before the first test session of the year began.
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- Mercedes W02, Valencia, 2011
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- Mercedes W02, Valencia, 2011
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- Mercedes W02, Valencia, 2011
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- Mercedes W02, Valencia, 2011
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- Mercedes W02, Valencia, 2011
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- Mercedes W02, Valencia, 2011
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- Mercedes W02, Valencia, 2011
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- Mercedes W02, Valencia, 2011
2011 F1 cars
- HRT F111 seen for the first time in Barcelona
- Williams FW33 livery revealed
- Force India VJM04 – first pictures
- Virgin MVR-02 launch – first pictures
- McLaren MP4-26 launch – first pictures
- Toro Rosso STR6 launch – first pictures
- Mercedes W02 launch – first pictures
- Red Bull RB7 launch – first pictures
- Renault R31 launch – first pictures
- Sauber C30 launch – first pictures
Browse all 2011 F1 cars articles
Images © F1 Fanatic and Julien Leroy / firstlap.be. If you wish to use these images please contact F1 Fanatic to request permission
DeadManWoking said on 1st February 2011, 9:01
The sidepod vanes are very short and there’s no obvious MRW actuator, unless it’s located under the upper wing.
BasCB (@bascb) said on 1st February 2011, 9:23
I like the way these vanes dissepeared. Lets hope the rest of the teams do away with them as well.
bosyber said on 1st February 2011, 10:18
I do wonder if they intend to attack and slash tyres with it though, sharp as it looks. But having it go away seems an improvement to me too – although they also started without them last year, didn’t they?
bosyber said on 1st February 2011, 10:16
The wing does seem to have hinges, it might indeed be under the wing – but there is also a panel in the middle of the main rear wing profile: they could attach something there, instead of merely adding a wing-blower device like I expect them to at some time in the season.
DeadManWoking said on 1st February 2011, 10:32
Yes there are panels in the middle of both wing elements but the upper wing also has two thick triangular structures at either side that seems to coincide with the D-shaped access panels behind the slots in the endplates, the actuators may be located in the sides there.
danielbts said on 1st February 2011, 9:06
If you look at the airbox, the camera is mounted a long way back.. makes me think this isn’t the airbox/engine cover they will end up with. Could see a split box of some sort?
OEL said on 1st February 2011, 9:08
You beat me to it!
OEL said on 1st February 2011, 9:07
Yuck! Have you noticed how far back the camera mount sits?
Meander said on 1st February 2011, 9:12
Hey, is it me or do they seem to have a different adjustable rear wing system?
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 1st February 2011, 9:15
I love the way the livery is never quite the same from shot to shot. The silver and the green blend into one another quite nicely, and I don’t think I’ve seen two shots with an identical livery because it looks like it changes as the light hits it.
Adam Tate (@adam-tate) said on 1st February 2011, 9:18
That should make it quite pretty when it gets out on the track. The more I look at this design the more I love it. It reminds me of the un-raced TF110 from last year. It looks like it’s ready to challenge for wins right out of the box!
Todfod (@todfod) said on 1st February 2011, 9:23
Whos is the dude with the ridiculous moustache?
Todfod (@todfod) said on 1st February 2011, 9:24
Oops.. commented on the wrong page.
Calum said on 1st February 2011, 9:24
Beautiful! Brushed silver and mint looks superb! The nose looks highly aggressive, this car is the best so far.
(note, yet to look at the Williams, RBR and STR launches)
MGP W01 said on 1st February 2011, 9:24
Why does it have last years front wing and no barge/side mirror boards like every other car. Also i think the colour schemes worse. GRRR, letdown!
Adam Tate (@adam-tate) said on 1st February 2011, 9:35
Most cars launch with old wings and won’t put on the new ones until they hit the track. I think they don’t have the barge boards because they have such an aggressive design for their sidepods. But if you look, they have a lil’ stubby version of one.
Calum said on 1st February 2011, 17:02
Haha, your name is so last year. W02 is where it’s at these days! ;)
antonyob said on 1st February 2011, 9:30
Best looking new car by a nose, literally. Pretty can mean pretty useless but it’d be very unlikely for Ross Brawn to get it wrong twice.
Great to not be able to call the best team tho it’ll come from either Mercedes, Red Bull, Mclaren, Ferrari with dark horses in Renault and hopefully Williams.
BasCB (@bascb) said on 1st February 2011, 9:44
here’s to hoping. I would love Mercedes to make it another 2 drivers into the WDC fight.
antonyob said on 1st February 2011, 9:32
i love it being all so low key as well. much more like a racing team and less like an episode of x factor!
chaostheory said on 1st February 2011, 9:39
Interesting to see this Lotus-Renault guy “inspecting” the rear of the car on the first picture :)
Icthyes (@icthyes) said on 1st February 2011, 9:42
Now this is an aggressive evolution. You can understand why red Bull didn’t do anything radical (why discard something that works) or why Ferrari have practically the same car with bits added from others’ (so they can add even more bits from others’), but Mercedes have really taken the challenge of getting back to race-winning form (in the guise of Brawn) by the horns. I agree with another comment made on the last article, they’re definitely starting to look like Mercedes now rather than butchered Brawn. I expect a race win at least from this one.
bosyber said on 1st February 2011, 10:23
Actually, the sidepods look a lot better than on the W01, but I think the Sauber might be tighter at the back, let alone the F150, quite probably the R31, and those seem outclassed by the RB7′s tight rear. So yes, it looks a lot better, especially at the front, but also a bit in the same vein as the others, but maybe less aggressive here and there, apart from the nose.
electrolite (@electrolite) said on 1st February 2011, 10:32
Absolutely! I couldn’t believe it when I saw these pictures, it’s certainly going to stand out. It’s even better than the rendering looked like.
Just look at the nose…the sidepods, everything! And the livery is certainly the best so far.
DeadManWoking said on 1st February 2011, 10:39
Yes “die Silberpfeile” are really back now but Mercedes seem to have copied the gill-slits from the wrong one! 8))
http://adamcooperf1.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/img_0090.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/2855232508_2c0d37cbfb.jpg
Pedal to the Vettel (@pedal-to-the-vettel) said on 1st February 2011, 12:48
Yer I love the new design, it has that unique Mercedes identity to it now unlike the “Brawnedes” last year.
Hopefully both drivers can get up and go from the start with Nico getting the world title *fingers crossed*
McG (@mcg) said on 1st February 2011, 10:24
Stunning.
Calum said on 1st February 2011, 17:03
COTD!
box this lap (@sebashuis) said on 1st February 2011, 10:50
such a BEAUTY!