After a switch to silver in 2022, Mercedes are back in black for the 2023 campaign and will be hoping to put their struggles behind them.
The W14 was launched early on Wednesday before the team took part in a shakedown at Silverstone Circuit. The team only ran for 15km and plans to complete a full 100km filming day tomorrow (Thursday).
There have also been unconfirmed reports that the team are struggling with engine issues, although this was before Chris Medland confirmed their plans for tomorrow on his Twitter account.
The move back to black is a major one for the team as it was during this period that they had the bulk of their success, being the dominant force at the front of the grid. The brainchild of Lewis Hamilton to help make a stance on the lack of diversity within the sport, it has become a lucky charm for the Brackley-based side.
Team Principal Toto Wolff said: “Last year was difficult but it came with lots of learnings. I hope 2023 will be proof that we have understood how to unravel the problems and improve the package of the car. W13 certainly had performance which we never were able to unlock and put all its downforce on the ground. Our car performed very well at the end of the season. However, we still had the famous bouncing at some circuits and the car never gave the drivers good feedback, which limited them in being able to really push. We have tried to keep all the goodness of the W13 and address its weaknesses,”
Lewis Hamilton said: “To see the evolution of the car and the changes that have been made is fascinating. We’ve redesigned, optimised, and innovated so many parts of the car and that is impressive. And I love the new livery! It says, ‘we mean business’.”
George Russell said: “I have been incredibly impressed with how the Team developed the car throughout last season. We have been building momentum throughout 2022 and we’re excited to see how that has progressed over the winter.”