Mercedes are speeding up their preparations for the 2023 Formula 1 season, and have already fired up their 2023 car, the W14.
It seems Mercedes cannot wait to put the disappointment of their 2022 F1 car, the W13 behind them, as they have become the first team to fire up their 2023 challenger, the W14.
Mercedes released a video on social media showing the preparations being completed before the W14 was fired up in the team’s factory in Brackley.
However, the video shows no details of the W14 will look like, or whether it will retain the “Zeropod” design that turned heads when revealed on the W13, but ultimately failed to deliver on its theoretical promise of performance.
The W13 suffered from sever “porpoising” with the team having to raise the ride height of the car to mitigate the problem, but then suffered from loss of downforce.
The team worked on developing the car of the 2022 season but it remained precarious, working at some races, but causing trouble at others.
Despite winning a race with George Russell at the 2022 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, the W13 remained a troublesome car, not in line with the previous creations that left the factory in Brackley, and the team said they intended to redesign it for 2023.
“The DNA of the car is going to change for next year, that’s clear,” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that our bodywork is going to look very different.
“But certainly what is part of the DNA of the car, the architecture of the car, will change for next year,” the Austrian added.
Mercedes finished the 2022 F1 season third in the Constructors’ Standing, their streak of eight consecutive Titles ending at the hands of Red Bull.
W14’s first words! ?
Firing up our 2023 @F1 car… pic.twitter.com/6delOaaE4H
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) December 22, 2022
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