Mercedes W04 launch: First pictures and video
2013 F1 cars
The Mercedes W04, one of the most eagerly-anticipated new cars of 2013, has broken cover for the first time.
The team has lured Lewis Hamilton away from his McLaren home to drive for them this year. He will drive car number ten while team mate Nico Rosberg races number nine.
Mercedes team principal Ross Brawn said the new season “marks the start of a second era for our Silver Arrows works team”.
“The restructuring we undertook at the team over the past 18 months are now growing in maturity and this is reflected in the F1 W04, which is a clear step forward in design and detail sophistication over its predecessor.
“Many thousands of hours of work have been invested by our technical teams in Brackley and Brixworth to ensure that the new car delivers a step change in performance compared to last season.
“We are also hugely proud to welcome Lewis to the team as a works Mercedes-Benz driver. With Lewis and Nico, we have what I believe to be the strongest driver line-up in Formula One and I know that a healthy level of competition between them both will help drive the team forward.”
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- Mercedes, W04, 2013
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- Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Mercedes W04 launch, Jerez, 2013
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- Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Mercedes W04 launch, Jerez, 2013
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- Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Nico Rosberg helmet, Mercedes, 2013
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- Nico Rosberg helmet, Mercedes, 2013
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- Nico Rosberg helmet, Mercedes, 2013
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- Nico Rosberg helmet, Mercedes, 2013
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- Lewis Hamilton helmet, Mercedes, 2013
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- Lewis Hamilton helmet, Mercedes, 2013
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- Lewis Hamilton helmet, Mercedes, 2013
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- Lewis Hamilton helmet, Mercedes, 2013
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- Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Mercedes W04 2013
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- Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Nico Rosberg, Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Nico Rosberg, Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Nico Rosberg, Mercedes W04, 2013
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- Mercedes W04, 2013
Nico Rosberg drives the Mercedes W04
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Image © F1 Fanatic, Mercedes
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 4th February 2013, 11:13
Mercedes appear to have gone for skinny sidepods, too. Perhaps its not as dramatic as the Sauber C32, but they definately look to be a little slimmer than they were on last year’s car.
BasCB (@bascb) said on 4th February 2013, 11:29
the link in that comment does not work (or is empty?) @prisoner-monkeys
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys) said on 4th February 2013, 11:42
The picture has been posted now.
Deepak (@ideepak) said on 4th February 2013, 11:29
That has got to be the most ridiculous front wing I’ve seen in my following of f1 so far.
The entire nose cone structure is so short, blunt and stout. The angle of the wing holding structure is extremely radical too. I don’t think there’s a car like that at all at the moment.
Why could they have done this ?
Gty said on 4th February 2013, 11:33
It reminds me of a Harrier Jump Jet! See http://www.richard-seaman.com/Aircraft/AirShows/Yuma2005/Flying/HarrierSideView.jpg
MagillaGorilla (@magillagorilla) said on 4th February 2013, 12:02
Haha your picture is from an airshow where I born and lived, nice.
But I agree, it reminds me of a harrier.
MaroonJack (@maroonjack) said on 4th February 2013, 13:25
I don’t see the similarity.
coefficient (@coefficient) said on 4th February 2013, 13:04
The front wing is last years as are the pylons. Expect the wing at least to change by melbourne. Most teams launch with their old wing to hide certain details of the flow regime from prying rival eyes for as long as possible.
The rear is interesting as the upper rear of the engine cover aft of the exhausts doesn’t meet the floor. Instead, it continues the “pseudo tunnel” that starts beneath the exhaust pods right to the back of the diffusor where it appears to feed some unusual u shaped vents. It really is odd and possibly an adaptation of the RB Tunnel concept amalgamated with Ross’s determination to find a new way to do the Double Diffuser within the regulations. Would love a better look at this!
Deepak (@ideepak) said on 4th February 2013, 14:35
I also forgot to mention the way the wing pillars swoop down at that angle remind me of elongated jaws, particularily David coulthard’s.
FD (@fd) said on 4th February 2013, 11:38
Does anyone else find it amusing, or perhaps disconcerting that one of the sponsors is Blackberry ie a company once at the top of it’s game but on a somewhat of a decline since… Much akin to Brawn :p
BJF1 said on 4th February 2013, 13:47
Actually, if you understand business you will know that company fortunes go up and down. Blackberry believe Hamilton will emerge as the man to beat and that he will outpace McLaren. It’s a gamble but it may pay off. Imagine what this will do if Lewis wins the WC!
Robbie (@robbie) said on 5th February 2013, 2:37
And Blackberry has just released their new phone, the Z10, and it has a new operating system and in early days is being touted as a good, competitive phone. They’re still in business, don’t owe anybody any money, and still have a strong loyal following, especially in the business world, and consider themselves to be off to a new start with their new release.
nidzovski (@nidzovski) said on 4th February 2013, 11:47
It looks like they didn’t touch the side pods, something that was a big deal at Red Bull and Sauber. I just hope that they are not sacrificing 2013 for 2014 straightway.
AdrianMorse (@adrianmorse) said on 4th February 2013, 11:47
I like the look of many 2013 cars, but this is an exception. The nose is still ugly, and the rear looks much fatter than those of other cars. Somehow I already feel less optimistic about the prospects of this year’s Mercedes being a fast car.
jh1806 (@jh1806) said on 4th February 2013, 12:17
The rear looks quite fat in some pictures but when you see this one http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2013/02/04/mercedes-w04-launch-pictures/merc-w04-2013-6/ it looks much skinnier…there’s a massive undercut at the rear of those sidepods.
GeeMac (@geemac) said on 4th February 2013, 12:36
Quite right. The exhaust bulge makes them look a little bulky, but they are heavily undercut.
bosyber (@bosyber) said on 4th February 2013, 14:59
Oh, jeah, that’s an interest in undercut, al most going from front sidepod back to below beamwing. Not immediately visible, but does seem they tugged in the cars’ behind (though in a muffin top way ;-)
nidzovski (@nidzovski) said on 4th February 2013, 11:57
+1 :(
infishan (@infishan) said on 4th February 2013, 12:00
i think they have put all on 2014, this just doesnt look right
Lucas Wilson (@full-throttle-f1) said on 4th February 2013, 12:04
I thought everybody knew that already?
Its no secret that Mercedes want to win the WC in 2014.
petebaldwin (@petebaldwin) said on 4th February 2013, 12:18
And no secret that with the current set up, they aren’t going to win anything regardless of how much money they throw at it.
Next yexr is going to be a bit of a lottery but every pound spent on this season’s car is one less spent on 2014. No team is going to spend more money on 2014 than Mercedes.
infishan (@infishan) said on 4th February 2013, 12:18
I know but it’s somehow sad to see the car, looks to me like they don’t even want to try this year, I can’t respect them in 2014 if I don’t recpect them now. I don’t know how to put it exactly but u know what I mean, everybody wants to win in 2014, but u have to drive whole 2013, and we all want to see fighters not those who give up, last year with Ferrari/Alonso was the best example.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner) said on 4th February 2013, 13:16
@infishan They’re not going to change something for the sake of changing it, are they?
Abe (@1abe) said on 4th February 2013, 14:39
@infishan
And you got that just by looking at the car??
infishan (@infishan) said on 4th February 2013, 14:42
I’m a genious.
Aled Davies (@aledinho) said on 4th February 2013, 15:20
A genius whose strengths don’t include spelling clearly
Christopher Monk (@leoman) said on 4th February 2013, 12:29
Its all very well saying they are concentrating on 2014 but they surely cant afford to be a laughing stock during 2013. Potentially that could damage the mercedes name as much as winning the WC in 2014 could improve it.
Ben (@scuderia29) said on 4th February 2013, 12:33
i thought they had just released the W02 from 2011 for a minute, this car just looks slow to me aha…but we’ll see…it might surprise, its definitely the ugliest car released this year so far
Guccio (@concalvez00) said on 4th February 2013, 12:40
Why is everybody so negative ? jeez, just wait until the end of the first half of the season and then talk
Sorry said on 4th February 2013, 13:56
It’s Hamilton’s car, what you would expect?
Even if were the greatest car ever made people would find “problems”.
Guccio (@concalvez00) said on 4th February 2013, 14:29
I agree with you mate
Partyplow (@nbrod) said on 4th February 2013, 12:47
I don’t get why so many people are already dooming this car to failure.
Yeah it looks out of place and funky but that’s what we said about the F2012 last year, now look how well that car did in the capable hands of Alonso.
Eddie (@wackyracer) said on 4th February 2013, 12:49
IS the test gonna be live on any channel? sky f1?
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner) said on 4th February 2013, 13:18
@wackyracer Very doubtful. There was an article a week or so ago about how we might just have to make do with Sky Sports News updates.
Journeyer (@journeyer) said on 4th February 2013, 15:51
@wackyracer As per F1Broadcaster on Twitter, no live coverage. But we do get a 15-minute roundup at the end of every testing day, but another 15-minute segment for Ted’s (Testing) Notebook. Which is probably the most extensive coverage of F1 testing I’ve ever seen (the bar is pretty low after all).
Nick F said on 4th February 2013, 12:51
Ah OK. The live stream is over now. I’m glad I hung around on the off chance they would stream something. It went OK. The audio was unsynced, but apart from that it was OK for a low key launch.
It was funny to me that they were racing each other out the pit lane. I’m not sure how well them being friends is going to work out.
The car. I’m no expert, but it doesn’t seem to be that different to last years. No radically different new things that I can see.
Nick F said on 4th February 2013, 12:53
Strangely the Mercedes F1 website had no mention on it about the live stream. Why?