Mercedes unveiled its F1 2023 challenger in an online launch as they go back to their black livery as we have seen with other teams.
With the 2023 F1 season close to kick-starting, Mercedes revealed their challenger in an online launch at Silverstone in the presence of Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Mick Schumacher along with team boss Toto Wolff and other heads.
Going by the theme of the 2023 F1 season, Mercedes went all-black with their livery for the new season abode W14. It is the return of the all-black livery after they last used it in 2021 before going back to the silver scheme last year.
“Our hopes and expectations are always to be capable of fighting for a World Championship,” said Wolff. ”However, our competitors were very strong last year, and we are playing catch-up. 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 going all in to get back in front.
“Our colours going forward will be silver and black. We were overweight last year. This year we have tried to figure out where we can squeeze out every single gram. So now, history repeats itself. You will see that the car has some raw carbon bits, along with some that are 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 heart. The colour black became part of our DNA at that point, so we are pleased to return to it,” summed up Wolff.
Moving on to the drivers, Hamilton stated: “I have been a part of this team for over a decade and the efforts of everyone never cease to amaze me. I find it inspiring how diligently and passionately each person approaches their work. 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’. I’m excited to go racing again. I feel calm, energised, and have my focus sharpened. I’m ready to do what’s necessary to win.”
At the same time, Russell 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. Aesthetically it looks great! It’s bold, aggressive and stands out.
“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.”
Back in black. 🖤 Meet the Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E PERFORMANCE. 😍
We're #AllInPerformance. 💪 pic.twitter.com/qKYiQiR6In
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) February 15, 2023
More to come
F1 2023 launches: