Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell give positive feedback on the W14 ahead of the 2023 F1 season
Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell give positive feedback on the W14 ahead of the 2023 F1 season
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Mercedes Provide Update After Shakedown Of Its New W14 Car; Lewis Hamilton and George Russell share 100km at Silverstone; Mercedes says the operation was carried out “without any problems”; Follow pre-season testing live on InNewCL Sports F1 from Thursday
Last updated: 2/17/23 7:02 am
Lewis Hamilton drove the new Mercedes W14 at Silverstone on Thursday
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell say their first track experience in Mercedes’ 2023 F1 Challenger went “smoothly”, while the team insisted their track time at Silverstone was completed “without a hitch”.
Mercedes unveiled its new all-black car on Wednesday before briefly taking to the track at Silverstone in what the team described as a “demo day”. After that there was online speculation that there was a technical problem with the W14.
However, as always planned, the team returned to the track for its official day of shooting, also known as a ‘shakedown’, on Thursday, after which they released a statement saying the allotted 100km was a success.
“We’ve had a solid start to the program for the W14,” said Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director.
“The conditions for filming or racing weren’t great, but we covered the allowed 100 km without any problems and both drivers gave us a good idea of their first impressions of the car.”
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Mercedes is launching the W14 in hopes it will have the right “DNA” to challenge for the Formula 1 title in 2023.
Mercedes is launching the W14 in hopes it will have the right “DNA” to challenge for the Formula 1 title in 2023.
Mercedes are looking to recover from a hugely disappointing 2022 season that saw the team’s streak of eight consecutive constructors’ titles come to an end as they struggled to adapt to the introduction of radically new design regulations.
Unlike last year, when they started the season in high spirits, Mercedes struck a cautious tone at Wednesday’s start, warning they may not be able to match the pace of leaders Red Bull and Ferrari straight away .
Ultimately, the many restrictions on Thursday’s 100km, which all teams have the opportunity to attend, offer only a limited insight into the car’s performance, with the start of pre-season testing next week in Bahrain providing a far more telling display.
Hamilton said he felt “comfortable” in the W14 on Thursday
“It was great to get going with the W14,” said Hamilton, who is aiming for an eighth world championship record.
“It’s always a highly anticipated moment for everyone at the factory who’s worked so hard; I am incredibly grateful for all the effort that has been put into it.
“The day went smoothly; we did a good program and gained some useful lessons. I felt generally comfortable in the car and am looking forward to getting started in Bahrain.”
Hamilton is aiming for an eighth F1 world title
Russell, who gave Mercedes their only win last season in his first season with the team, was also pleasantly surprised by his first experience with the new car.
“It’s great to get out on the track with the W14,” said Russell. “It was very cold and greasy out there today, but the car ran smoothly and we did all the laps that we’re allowed to do.
“We know that the pre-season tests in Bahrain will be the first real test of the car. Despite that, it looks great on the track and the feeling in the car is so far, so good.”
George Russell said his first experience in the W14 was “smooth”.
Pre-season testing will take place in Bahrain from 23-25 February before the same circuit for the season opener on 5 March, with testing and every session of every race taking place live on InNewCL Sports F1.
Shovlin added: “Bahrain will be very different than a cold wet Silverstone but everything seems to be going well.
“Hopefully next week we can hit the ground running and maximize the three days of pre-season testing that we have.”
