Menacing W14 Mercedes-AMG F1 Car Fired Up for the First Time
A brief video of the W14 confirms that Mercedes is the first Formula One team to fire up their 2023 car.
Mercedes had a less than stellar 2022 Formula One season. The team finished third in the constructor’s championship behind Red Bull and Ferrari. It was their lowest finish since the 2012 season. They won the constructor’s championship each year from 2014 through 2021. George Russell finished fourth in the driver’s championship in 2022. Mercedes is not happy with those types of results, so they are working hard on the 2023 car. And it seems they are finally first again. At least first when it comes to starting their new car. The 2023 W14 Mercedes-AMG F1 has been fired up for the first time recently. It is the only 2023 F1 car to have been started to this point.
A brief video was recently posted on the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team YouTube channel. This video shows the W14 Formula One car taking its first breath. What it does not show, quite understandably, is much of the actual car. What plagued the W13 car that ran in the 2022 season was excessive “porpoising.” It made the car uncompetitive for most of the year. That should be fully sorted on the 2023 car.
Drivers
The driver lineup for 2023 will remain the same for the Mercedes team. Lewis Hamilton and Russell will again be teammates. Russell finished 35 points ahead of Hamilton in 2022. Of course, Hamilton has seven championships to his name. If he is able to win another, he will have more than any other F1 driver in the history of the sport. He will need a better car to make that happen. Mercedes is working diligently on the W14 to give the team the best chance to be successful.
Full Reveal
The Mercedes team set a goal of getting the car started before the Christmas break and they just made it. But they have not yet announced when the W14 will make its premier. AlphaTauri confirmed they we reveal their new car on February 11. Aston Martin is expected to reveal their car on February 13 and Ferrari is set to reveal theirs on the following day. Preseason testing is expected to begin on February 23 in Bahrain, which is also the location of the first race in 2023.
Looking Back
Hamilton recently reflected on the disappointing 2022 season. He was quoted as saying “Ultimately, I think we started with a car that we didn’t want, and we finished with a car that we didn’t want.” But he also noted that there were times of hope. “The first big step was Barcelona, that was our first hint of there being more potential in the car.
It turned out to be a bit of a false positive; the car was good there but then the races afterwards were difficult,” he said. Looking back can be empowering but it is now time to look ahead. Mercedes has a new W14 on the way and the team and fans are looking for better results in 2023.
Photos: Mercedes AMG F1
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