A brand new season, new challenges, and a brand new automobile. Today, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team unveils its 2023 contender, the Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance.
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Forged within the learnings of a tough 2022, the W14 is putting in its look. The underlying idea of the W13 has been retained, and growth has centered on core efficiency areas. That has led to a automobile that retains the distinctive DNA of its predecessor and introduces a mix of notable modifications seen on first inspection – such because the gulley bodywork on the engine cowl – and others beneath the floor.
The automobile’s arresting look isn’t restricted to the structure, both. As a part of an enormous challenge to make the automobile lighter total, the long-lasting black paint job from 2020 to 2021 has been improved. Driving the W14 will probably be Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who line up for his or her second season collectively, supported by Mick Schumacher in his function as third driver.
“Our hopes and expectations are always to be capable of fighting for a World Championship. However, our competitors were solid last year, and we are playing catch-up,” stated Team Principal & CEO of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, Toto Wolff. “Racing at the front requires resilience, teamwork, and determination. We face up to every challenge, we put the Team first, and we will leave no stone unturned in the chase for every millisecond. This year, we are all in to get back in front.”
A Refined Concept
“Last year was difficult, but it came with lots of learning,” Toto commented. “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 a performance that we could never 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 push. We have tried to keep all the goodness of the W13 and address its weaknesses,” he continued.
The problem of unlocking the efficiency in final 12 months’s automobile whereas troubleshooting the issues that the Team may deal with in-season was met head-on by each Brackley and Brixworth. Notably, the event over the 12 months led to a memorable one-two end on the São Paulo Grand Prix. The progress all through 2022 excites Technical Director Mike Elliott.
“Last year, once we had figured out what we needed to do, it took a huge amount of work to get ourselves moving forward. Towards the end of the season, you could see the performance improvement, and the winter has been a reset. We have done all the things that we wanted to do with the W13 last year but weren’t able to because of resource constraints or because our focus was elsewhere fixing other issues,” he stated.
Areas focused embody decreasing total weight, giving the drivers a extra constant automobile stability throughout the velocity vary, and higher matching the aerodynamic traits to the calls for of the aero rules. This is borne out in areas corresponding to a considerably lighter chassis, revised entrance suspension geometry, cooling system changes and a sophisticated aerodynamic idea based mostly on final 12 months’s studying.
“With this generation of cars, the performance is all in detail. When you look at the W14, you will see the DNA of the W13 but also a lot of evolution and detail improvement,” Elliott added.
All in Performance
“Our colours going forward will be silver and black.” So stated Toto on the launch of final 12 months’s automobile, and for 2023, the Team returns to the latter within the title of efficiency. Hitting the load restrict is a major problem with this technology of vehicles, and the Team has taken inspiration from the legendary creation of the unique Silver Arrows. However, as a substitute of stripping again paint to shiny aluminium beneath, will probably be smooth black carbon fibre on the W14.
“We were overweight last year. This year, we have tried figuring out where to squeeze out every gram. So now, history repeats itself. You will see that the car has some raw carbon bits and some painted matte black. Of course, when we changed the livery in 2020, the main driving factor was to support the diversity and equality causes which are always close to our hearts. The colour black became part of our DNA at that point, so we are pleased to return to it,” Toto commented.
The historic hyperlinks don’t finish there, nevertheless, with the black livery echoing the 1993 Sauber C12. That automobile utilised ‘Concept by Mercedes’ energy and signalled the three-pointed star’s return to the head of motorsport for the primary time since 1955.
Incoming freeze and reliability fixes
Thirty years on from the creation of the Brixworth-built engine that noticed Mercedes re-join Grand Prix racing, the manufacturing facility in Northamptonshire is as soon as once more a hive of exercise. With the Power Unit {hardware} freeze in impact, the main focus has shifted to 2 key areas: reliability and software program.
“It’s the busiest time of year,” stated Hywel Thomas, Managing Director of Mercedes AMG High-Performance Powertrains (HPP). “We’ve got the final performance software freeze of this regulation cycle ahead of the start of the season, so that’s been a lot of work. We have found the most performance recently through how we use the engine, which means software upgrades. Knowing that it is the final opportunity for development has ensured it’s been a real push to pack in as much work as possible.”
The challenges offered by the W13 weren’t restricted to the chassis, both. The impact of the bouncing on the Power Unit was of concern, and reliability fixes have been carried out. “By the end of the season, the engines were battered and bruised,” Hywel continued. “We have looked at the design changes made on the chassis, along with those on the engine, and done the work as a team. The biggest changes on the Power Unit this year are the reliability items to make ourselves more robust if we find the W14 hitting the ground.”
Diversity driving efficiency
The Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E PERFORMANCE was unveiled at Silverstone, the house of British motorsport, earlier as we speak. Helping launch our automobile have been members of our newest cohort of Team apprentices and PETRONAS interns. The Team’s dedication to constructing a extra various workforce stays a major precedence. Our apprenticeship, intern schemes, and Accelerate 25 have aided appreciable progress. But there’s nonetheless extra work to be performed.
“It’s fantastic to have some of our 2023 apprentices and PETRONAS interns help us launch this year’s car. It is a reminder of the Team we aspire to become. Our commitment to becoming a more diverse and performant organisation is unwavering, and we are pleased with our steps,” Toto stated.
The Accelerate 25 programme formalises our ambition of at the very least 25% of all new staff members coming from under-represented teams. Since launching two years in the past, our proportion of feminine staff has risen from 12% to 16%, with staff members from a minority ethnic background rising to 9% from 3% as of January 2023.
“These numbers are positive developments, and we aspire to more. Two years after the launch of Accelerate 25, now is the right time to reflect; we can be pleased with our progress and need to be clear about moving forward. Our focus is not just on recruitment but also on retaining and developing our diverse talent. We will continue pushing to achieve our aims in this area,” Toto stated.
The 12 months forward
Reliability, correlation, and studying will give attention to pre-season testing in Bahrain. An environment friendly and profitable check is crucial with simply three days of operating earlier than the primary race weekend of the season.
“We never really got on top of the car balance last year. All the everyday work we do at the beginning of the season didn’t happen because of the problems we were trying to rectify,” Mike commented. “We’ve got to learn as much as we can, to work out how to get the most performance out of the car and what we can learn to feed into the next developments.”
“The chassis side has got an enormous amount of work that they want to complete to learn,” added Hywel. “We need to be in the background doing our job and helping rack up the mileage.”
That symbiotic relationship between Brackley and Brixworth was essential to the Team’s progress final 12 months. “We worked together, worked out how we can take what we have got on both sides and improved in all areas. It’s exciting to see the result of that continued closeness this year.”
Toto added: “The entire organisation was pushing flat out last year. We mobilised every reserve when we realised the car wasn’t where we wanted it to be. That never stopped throughout the season. We are now getting ready to start the next season. I see so much effort, motivation, and energy in the organisation to launch a car that will eventually be competitive enough to fight at the very front of the grid.”
Fired up
That power is one thing that evokes each Lewis and George. “I have been a part of this team for over a decade, and the efforts of everyone never cease to amaze me,” Lewis commented. “I find it inspiring how diligently and passionately each person approaches their work.”
George added: “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.”
And what about their preliminary ideas on the W14? George continued: “Aesthetically, it looks great! It’s bold, aggressive and stands out.” Lewis added: “To see the evolution of the car and the changes that have been made is fascinating. We’ve redesigned, optimised, and innovated many parts of the car, which is impressive. And I love the W14 new livery! It says, ‘we mean business’.”
Last season we introduced George’s maiden pole place and Grand Prix victory. He is eyeing additional successes this 12 months and is raring to go. “It’s been a long winter, and there’s plenty of anticipation to see if the W14 lives up to our expectations. I’m excited, and while there’s a lot of talk at this point in the season, we now need to see how we perform when the car takes to the track.”
For Lewis, the motivation inside burns shiny as he appears to return again from the primary winless season in his profession. “I’m excited to go racing again. I feel calm and energised, and I have my focus sharpened. I’m ready to do what’s necessary to win.”
Lewis and George start their second season collectively as teammates, however there’s a change in Reserve Driver for 2023. Mick Schumacher joins the Team after two years as a race driver on the Haas F1 Team. The 23-year-old German stated: “I’ve always felt very close to Mercedes. I am delighted to be a part of the Team, and I know how important my role will be in aiding the development of the W14. I am committed to giving it my all to contribute to our performance in this competitive environment.”
Continued business progress
The sport’s progress continues apace; a race in Las Vegas, the third of three Grands Prix within the United States this season, record-breaking attendance figures, and a brand new season of Drive to Survive launching shortly. “Formula One is going from strength to strength around the globe. I think it is doing so because we are providing good content. Proper racing, interesting personalities, and the odd controversy on and off the track,” Toto stated.
That growth in curiosity has been mirrored within the continued energy and enlargement of our accomplice ecosystem, and the Team is now one of many main world sports activities franchises by way of business income.
The renewal of our Title and Technical Partnership with PETRONAS from the 2026 season onwards was introduced late final 12 months, sending a transparent message. “Our Team and PETRONAS are no longer just partners, we are family, and we will be one Team for many more years to come. We are excited to be racing into the future alongside PETRONAS, with the ambition to set the standard again in our on-track performance and by pioneering the transition of a global sports team to a net-zero future.”
Today, we announce the newest innovators to affix our accomplice household. US multinational Qualcomm Technologies has agreed on a multi-year settlement with the Team to advertise its Snapdragon model. The strategic collaboration will leverage the Snapdragon platform’s energy to profit the Team and our world fanbase. We additionally welcome Abu Dhabi-based know-how group G42, which champions synthetic intelligence (AI) as a robust pressure for good to boost and enhance individuals’s talents and lives.
They are the newest world gamers to start partnerships with the Team forward of the 2023 season following 4 just lately introduced offers. Solera, the worldwide chief of car lifecycle administration and funds know-how firm Nuvei, have agreed on multi-year partnerships. Einhell, a number one producer of state-of-the-art cordless energy instruments and backyard tools, turns into the Team’s ‘Official Tool Expert’. Meanwhile, Sherwin-Williams joins because the accredited provider of automotive paint and coatings to the Team’s F1 vehicles.
Richard Sanders, Chief Commercial Officer of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, stated: “The growth of F1 globally is reflected in the ever-increasing interest from world-class brands and innovative companies to join our partner ecosystem. We’re proud to be adding to the excitement of the W14 launch day by welcoming both Snapdragon and G42. They join several other fantastic brands we have partnered with ahead of the 2023 season, and we look forward to working closely with them and our long-standing partners throughout the year.”
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