Mercedes have unveiled their 2013 Formula One car, the F1 W04, at the Jerez circuit in Spain. The launch took place after Nico Rosberg had given the new machine a brief shakedown earlier in the day for filming purposes.
According to the team, the basic concept of the F1 W04 is a sophisticated evolution of last year’s car. Its design was led by engineering director Aldo Costa, under the coordination of technical director Bob Bell.
“2013 marks the start of a second era for our Silver Arrows works team,” said Mercedes’ team principal Ross Brawn. “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.
Initial aerodynamic testing for the F1 W04 began in early summer 2012 and has resulted in a new five-element front wing design and a second-generation Coanda exhaust at the rear of the car. The car retains pushrod front suspension and a pullrod rear suspension (which the teams says is to optimise tyre life and performance), while the rear end has been aggressively packaged to optimise aerodynamic development potential.
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