Silver arrows are a thing of the past. Formula 1 team Mercedes is showing off its colors and returning to its black outfit, similar to the look of 2020 and 2021.
Back then, this color scheme had everything to do with the fight against racism, pro-diversity, and the political climate surrounding Black Lives Matter. Now this is only a small part of the story.
The new W14 that Lewis Hamilton and George Russell used to hunt Max Verstappen is mostly black because of the weight.
“Our previous car was overweight. We’ve done everything to make the new thinner and lighter. There was no holy cow. Each department was given the same task: lose weight,” says team principal Toto Wolff.
The magic potion is black carbon. It shines in the absence of paint on various W14 spots.
“Don’t think Back to Black makes you lose tens of pounds, but every bit helps,” Wolff continues. “And it makes our intention clear. In terms of weight, we are now exactly at the allowable limit. And the arguments for why we chose black a few years ago are still relevant and relevant. In other words: He’s asleep.”
A seven-time world champion, Hamilton puts the importance of the color black into perspective. “It’s not how the car looks that matters. Speed is far more important, but other than that, almost everyone in our boxes liked black more than silver. So I am very happy with him.”
Mercedes wants to avenge a mediocre season with the W14. After eight years of dominance, the best team missed the goal in 2022. Mercedes was overwhelmed by a sweeping rule change. The revolutionary W13 looked very stylish and fast, but it turned out to be a bouncy, slow car.
Considered as the dominant team, they could not compete with Red Bull Racing and Ferrari. “It was below average. We learned our lesson, but we hurt,” says Wolff, looking at his new wound.
The team boss is optimistic about the W14, but explains it with a joke. “He is here. Looks great. I hope it sets an example.”
Wolff’s choice of this tone is understandable. His team is stuck with a Grand Prix win in 2022. George Russell saved the honor in Brazil, but seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton remained dry all year. The 38-year-old British driver failed to win a single race for the first time in his F1 career.
Sir Lewis wants to save himself. “I can’t look at a crystal ball, but what I’ve seen looks promising. I want to win races again and I think we have the right ammo. What if that doesn’t work right away? Then we have different scenarios to get the box to do that.”
Hamilton assures that his motivation is unscathed by failure. “I’m still passionate and motivated, I’m in great shape and I’m looking forward to getting back into the competition. I’m also looking forward to the tire tests. “This hasn’t happened to me very often in the past, so it means a lot,” Hamilton said.
Christmas gift
“Last week was incredible. I witnessed the car being put together, the pieces of the puzzle being put together. It’s like Christmas. It’s like opening a big gift. And this team is a great family. Even after such a difficult season, he is very compatible. I really want to get behind the wheel together. We will prove that failures make you stronger. In the long run, the headwind will take us further than 2022.”
“It is no coincidence that this team has won so much. We haven’t forgotten that and I’m sure we’ll be back where we belong. Of course we had setbacks, but I saw what we had designed.” and what updates are coming.”
“We won’t be the fastest out of the starting blocks, but I see a lot of potential for progress and I’m really looking forward to this car.” It’s an evolution. The W13 has been redesigned from the ground up. “I don’t act like a race car should, but I think we found all the problems and fixed them.”
Team principal Wolff assures Mercedes they will reach the top of F1 but is backing out. “We will be competitive again. It will be good. I can’t say when it will happen. We must be humble and not knock ourselves out. We broke up last year. No one should forget that.”
“We are facing the facts,” Wolff says. “It wasn’t a race gone wrong, it was an entire season.”
“Or at least the first half. Then it went wrong on all fronts. We stood behind. Updates that were supposed to bring a second and a half progress didn’t do anything. Then you are behind the facts. Luckily, it’s a little better in the second half of the Season. You learn most from failures. So we learned a lot.”
Source: NOS
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
