Car presented to media in Jerez after first pictures released last week
Sunday 1 February 2015 11:58, UK
World champions Mercedes have formally launched their 2015 challenger, the W06, in a low-key ceremony at Jerez.
The understated presentation was utterly at odds with the widespread expectation their new charger will be the car to beat this season
The W06 is an evolutionary rather than revolutionary successor to the team’s 2014 car – an understandable and logical philosophy following the team’s record-breaking success in the first year of F1’s new turbo era when the W05 proved to be The Pied Piper of the field.
“The most remarkable thing really is how unremarkable this car is compared to last year’s car,” said Sky Sports F1's Ted Kravitz. “That is because Mercedes had such an advantage last year with the aerodynamics and the powertrain that they only needed to tweak it to make sure they are still ahead of the game.
“They have been able to improve the engine during the off season and gain as much as 50hp which will keep them ahead of everybody else and they have been able to tweak what was already a successful aerodynamic platform. The nose regulations have changed, but they have changed in Mercedes favour so it is pretty much the same as they had last year.”
In total, the team claimed an unprecedented 11 one-two finishes as they secured the Constructors’ Championship by a margin of almost 300 points while Lewis Hamilton edged out Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes team-mates’ exclusive fight for the drivers’ title.
However, Toto Wolff has warned that the Silver Arrows cannot afford to rest on their laurels and must come out fighting again in 2015.
“There is a long road ahead before we reach the first race,” the Austrian said. “We must build a fast, reliable racing car to be able to compete with rivals whose ability and competitiveness can never be underestimated. At this point, every team is on zero points.
“The only thing we know for sure is that we have consistency in our driver line-up for the third year running and they know what's expected of them, just as we know what they expect from us. We're looking forward to seeing them push each other and the team forward. It will be another fascinating battle between the two but we must wait until Melbourne until we know if we have provided them with a car that allows them to fight each other for wins."
Those sentiments were echoed by Executive Director (Technical) Paddy Lowe, but the Englishman is also worried about getting development wrong.
"The key factor from our perspective is avoiding complacency,” said Lowe. "Expectations are now high and a lot of assumptions are being made about our potential this season. Internally, however, we are fully aware that you can never afford to stand still in any sport - particularly Formula 1. We are up against competitors with a great history of success and, like us, they will not be content unless they are winning. As the old motor racing adage goes, you are only as good as your last race.
“Of course, like every other team on the grid, we have been pushing harder than ever to find areas for performance gains. But at the same time, we must ensure we are moving in the correct direction. One of the risks with car development is that attempting forward steps can easily turn into rearward steps. You have to take risks to progress - but those risks must be carefully managed in order to produce a car that is better than its predecessor. This has been an underlying theme for the team over the winter.”
The new Mercedes bears a sharp resemblance to its predecessor, although its key details are likely to be housed beneath the bodywork. The team’s innovative layout of its turbo engine was widely credited as being the crucial ingredient behind the team’s 2014 success.
Rosberg had the honour of debuting the car when he took the W06 for its maiden drive when testing began early on Sunday morning.
While paddock insiders have predicted the team’s dominance will be tempered this year, the team are expected to lead the grid at the start of 2015 with the sport’s regulations fundamentally unchanged between seasons.
The Sky Sports F1 Online team will be providing live commentary from all four days of testing in Jerez – from dawn on Sunday to dusk on Wednesday. Sky Sports News HQ will also have live updates from trackside.
