Mercedes provide update after shakedown of their new W14 car; Lewis Hamilton and George Russell share 100km of running time at Silverstone; Mercedes say running conducted "without any issues"; watch pre-season testing live on Sky Sports F1 from Thursday
Friday 17 February 2023 10:30, UK
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell say their first on-track experience in Mercedes' 2023 F1 challenger has gone "smoothly", while the team insisted that their Silverstone track time had been completed "without any issues".
Mercedes launched their new all-black car on Wednesday before briefly taking to the track at Silverstone for what the team described as a "demo day", after which there was speculation online that there had been a technical issue with the W14.
However, the team - as was always planned - returned to the track on Thursday for their official filming day, also known as a 'shakedown', and released a statement afterwards indicating that their allotted 100km of running time had been a success.
"We've had a solid start to the programme for W14," Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said.
"Conditions weren't great for filming or running but we completed the permitted 100km without any issues, and both drivers have been able to give us a good assessment of their first impressions of the car."
Mercedes are looking to bounce back from a hugely disappointing 2022 campaign which saw the team's streak of eight successive constructors titles end as they struggled to adapt to introduction of radical new design regulations.
Unlike last year when they had entered the season in buoyant mood, Mercedes struck a cautious tone at Wednesday's launch, warning that they may not immediately be able to match the pace of front-runners Red Bull and Ferrari.
Ultimately the many restrictions on Thursday's 100km of running, which all teams have the opportunity to do, only provides them with limited insight into the car's performance, with the start of pre-season testing next week in Bahrain a far more meaningful representation.
"It has been great to get up and running with the W14," said Hamilton, who is seeking a record eighth world championship.
"It is always a much-anticipated moment for everyone at the factory that has been working so hard; I'm incredibly grateful for all the effort that has gone in.
"The day has been smooth; we got through a good programme, and we've come away with some useful findings. I generally felt comfortable in the car and I'm excited to get going in Bahrain."
Russell, who delivered Mercedes' only victory of last season in his debut campaign with the team, was also positive about his first experience in the new car.
"It's great to get on track with the W14," Russell said. "It was very cold and greasy out there today, but the car ran smoothly, and we completed all the laps we are permitted to do.
"We know pre-season testing in Bahrain will be the first real test of the car. Nevertheless, it looks great out on circuit and the feeling from within the car is so far, so good."
Pre-season testing runs from February 23-25 in Bahrain, before the same circuit hosts the season opener on March 5, with testing and every session of every race live on Sky Sports F1.
Shovlin added: "Bahrain will be very different to a cold, wet Silverstone but everything seems to be working well.
"Hopefully we can hit the ground running next week and maximise the three days of pre-season testing that we have."
