Lewis helps take the wraps off his first non-McLaren car
Tuesday 5 February 2013 09:51, UK
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg have unveiled the new Mercedes W04 at Jerez.
According to Brawn, the W04 is "a clear step forward in design and detail sophistication over its predecessor." It features a new five-element front wing design and a second-generation Coanda exhaust at the rear while retaining a pushrod front suspension and a pullrod rear suspension. Unlike the Lotus E21, the first of the 2013 cars to be revealed, the new Mercedes also wears a small modesty panel after the team disovered a 'small gain' from its use during aerodynamic testing. "2013 marks the start of a second era for our Silver Arrows works team," said the Team Principal. "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." The launch of the car has proved to be something of a piecemeal event, with the team's website providing the first glimpse of the W04 on Saturday night and this Monday's official launch preceded by the car's shakedown in front of the early arrivals at Jerez. It's official debut will take place on Tuesday morning when the first test of the winter commences at the Spanish circuit.