Video: First laps of the new Mercedes

A few hours before the official launch of the Mercedes W04, both drivers took the car out for a spin at the Jerez circuit.



The car is based around a 5-element front wing and a second generation coanda exhaust system. It's also got front and rear pull-rod suspension, with the team also using a vanity panel.

After one win at the Chinese Grand Prix, Mercedes had a pretty dissapointing season.

Ross Brawn, team boss, said, “2013 marks the start of a second era for our Silver Arrows works team”.

“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.”

“Many thousands of hours of work have been invested by our technical teams in Brackley and Brixworth to ensure that the new car delivers a step change in
performance compared to last season.”

Lewis Hamilton will be driving alongside Nico Rosberg after spending all of his career so far at McLaren.

The Mercedes W04 will be put into action next tomorrow at the pre-season testing session in Jerez.

Order your Mercedes 2013 merchandise directly!