Mercedes-Benz

MERCEDES have launched their car for the upcoming 2023 season… with fans convinced that they’re “going to win it all”.The Silver Arrows endured a difficult campaign last time out, amid struggles with their W13 car.
Mercedes have launched their new W14 carCredit: Mercedes-Benz AG
The 2023 car sees a return to the striking black liveryCredit: Mercedes-Benz AG
The Silver Arrows will be desperate to get off to a better start than last seasonCredit: Mercedes-Benz AG
With optimism that they have resolved their problems in their latest W14 model, however, Lewis Hamilton fans are feeling positive about their man’s chances this year.
Speaking ahead of the car’s launch, team principal Toto Wolff said: “Last year was difficult but it came with lots of learnings.
“I hope 2023 will be proof that we have understood how to unravel the problems and improve the package of the car.”
He then continued: “W13 certainly had performance which we never were able to unlock and put all its downforce on the ground.
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“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 really push.
“We have tried to keep all the goodness of the W13 and address its weaknesses.”
The W14 sees Mercedes return to their striking black livery look – previously used during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
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Lewis Hamilton is ready for another crack at winning his eighth world titleCredit: Mercedes-Benz AG
George Russell won his first F1 race in Brazil last yearCredit: Mercedes-Benz AG
An emphasis has been placed on reducing the weight of the car – with the W14 boasting a lighter chassis, as well as a “refined aerodynamic concept”.
On his new car, Hamilton said: “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.”
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.”
Upon seeing snaps of their new car, Mercedes fans were thrilled about their chances.
One wrote: “We’re winning it all.”
A second tweeted: “Black Mercedes livery is back, the Michael Schumacher championship record is actually going to be beaten.”
And a third gushed: “omg we are so back!”
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Quote-tweeting Mercedes’ announcement, F1 legend Damon Hill bizarrely added: “Warning: Contains Nude Photography.”
The new season gets underway in Bahrain on March 5, with Hamilton and Co looking to get off to a good start.
Toto Wolff is raring to goCredit: Mercedes-Benz AG
The W14 will receive its race debut in BahrainCredit: Mercedes-Benz AG More

LEWIS HAMILTON is raring to go to get back behind the wheel and says he is planning to stay with Mercedes for longer.The 38-year-old helped launch Mercedes’ challenger for 2023 – the striking all-black W14.
Lewis Hamilton can’t wait to get back behind the wheelCredit: Getty
Hamilton is out of contract with Mercedes at the end of the upcoming seasonCredit: PA
Mercedes have launched their new car for 2023Credit: Mercedes-Benz AG
Team chief Toto Wolff revealed the car is mainly unpainted carbon fibre in order to save weightCredit: Mercedes-Benz AG
This season marks his 17th in F1 and with his contract with Mercedes set to expire at the end of the season, he has again hinted that he wants to remain with the team.
Hamilton said: “I know I’ve been here [at Mercedes] a long time. It’s the combined energy of all the individuals in the team.
“I love being a part of a team that’s working towards a common goal. I continue to love racing, I think that’s never going to change as it is part of my DNA.
“I always believe that I can get better. I always love that challenge of the mental and the physical element of it and having to deep dive and see how you can extract more performance.”
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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff confirmed contract talks to extend Hamilton have opened – but so far they have had just one conversation.
He said: “We have done a few of these contracts in the past and they change little from iteration to iteration, so it is not complex apart from the obvious – terms
“We have had a first chat but I don’t want to commit to any timeline because it’s not important for him or for us. He has a full year to run and we will find the right time.”
Speaking about Mercedes’ new car, Hamilton added: “It’s not the same car every year. You know, it’s always changing. There’s always new tools, always a new logbook they have to get used to.
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“And I love that, so you know, I am planning to stay there longer.”
Meanwhile Wolff has revealed the car – which is an evolution from last year’s model with no sidepods – is in black to save weight.
The bodywork is mainly unpainted carbon fibre to save grams or excess weight.
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Wolff added: “When you look at where the story of the Silver Arrows came from, it is that the Mercedes was put on track and was painted white.
“But it was overweight and they scratched off the paint and it ended up in aluminium and the car made the weight.
“We really tried to get the weight off the car so we committed to [reducing] the grams by leaving the car in matte carbon.
“So history repeats itself, just in this case it is modern materials like carbon and not aluminium. It just came together and it feels right.”
Meanwhile, George Russell says the team’s goal for this season is simply to win the championship.
Russell, who turned 24 on the day of the launch, said: “Knowing how last season panned out and the challenges we had with the car, I think we can be pretty proud of the job we did.
“There were a lot of positives to take away from that season. The reliability of the car was great. The strategy on many occasions was really, really strong.
“In the personal learnings we all went through and the technical learnings, that’s all gone into [this year’s] car.
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“We’re all here to win. It’s as simple as that. The motivation and the fire within our factory is immense, because people don’t want a repeat of what happened in 2022.
“So we’re ready for it and we’re motivated to go out there and fight.”
George Russell and Hamilton are eyeing world title glory in 2023Credit: Reuters More

LEWIS HAMILTON has teased his 2023 Formula One helmet design as the excitement builds before the new season.And the Mercedes car he will be driving throughout this year is set to be unveiled imminently.
Lewis Hamilton is preparing for the 2023 Formula One seasonCredit: Reuters
Hamilton, 38, is eyeing a record-breaking eighth world drivers’ championship.
And the F1 superstar took to Instagram to give his 31.4million followers a glimpse of his outfit.
The British legend posted a close-up snap of a yellow-and-purple helmet with trim in blue and red.
The colour scheme appears to be a blend of the last two seasons.
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In 2021, he had a mainly-purple helmet while last year’s model was predominantly yellow.
Hamilton simply added “23” – in a nod to the upcoming season which kicks off in Bahrain on March 5.
The seven-time world champ has a staggering SIX records in his sight this year to cement his status as F1’s GOAT.
That includes taking the outright lead for world championships, most wins at the same Grand Prix, most poles at the same Grand Prix and first driver to win a race after his 300th start.
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And Hamilton has clearly been working hard in the gym to get himself in the best possible condition to rival Max Verstappen once again.
The Stevenage star – who did not win a single race last season – posted selfies showing off his ripped abs following his off-season exploring Antarctica.
While fans wait in eager expectation for the Mercedes car design for 2023, others have already taken a pop at Red Bull for their ‘new’ livery.
Specsavers were among the many to pile in on the reigning constructors’ champions with their RB19 car for this year virtually identical to the RB18 paintjob from 2022.
Hamilton gave fans a glimpse of his 2023 helmetCredit: Instagram
His helmet last year was a striking yellow colourCredit: AFP / Getty More

VALTERRI BOTTAS has opened up about the five seasons he spent as Lewis Hamilton’s team-mate at Mercedes. The Finnish driver admitted he found the desperation to beat the seven-time world champion to a title “exhausting”.
Valterri Bottas has conceded that competing with Lewis Hamilton was toughCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Bottas, 33, joined Mercedes for the 2017 season to replace Nico Rosberg, who retired after beating Hamilton a year earlier.
The driver, now with Alfa Romeo, finished second and third two times each in the F1 standings behind Hamilton.
He told journalist Maria Veitola it was tough to come to terms with the fact the Brit was better than him.
Bottas said: “For such a competitive nature, it was hard to accept.
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“It was only in the last year that I could accept that Lewis Hamilton was a better driver.
“I always wondered how I could beat him and win the world championship.
“It was quite an exhausting five years. I wanted to win everything right away, and then when it didn’t happen, it was hard to accept.”
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff previously said he thought it was correct to let Bottas go at the end of the 2021 season.
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Wolff said: “I think that it was a good moment for Valtteri to leave the team because the pressure was enormous on him and he didn’t want to be a wingman.
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“I think having released him from that pressure, now he’s racing with Alfa, it is completely different and he seems also happier rather than this pressure cooker at Mercedes.”
Bottas also recently opened up about suffering with an eating disorder earlier in his career.
He was in a slower car last season with the Italian constructors and finished 10th in last term’s standings.
Hamilton is now partnered by George Russell at Mercedes. More