F1: Drivers Upbeat As Mercedes Reveals New W03

Formula 1

F1: Drivers Upbeat As Mercedes Reveals New W03

Mercedes has officially unveiled its new W03...

Adam Cooper | http://www.speedtv.com | Posted February 21, 2012 Balen (BEL)

Nico Rosberg (Left), Michael Schumacher (Right) and team principal Ross Brawn (Center) gather earlier this year for the unveiling of Mercedes W03 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Mercedes has officially unveiled its new W03, some five days after it was shaken down at a filming day at Silverstone.

The car is the first to be produced by the stellar new technical team of Bob Bell, Aldo Costa and Geoff Willis.

“The F1 W03 is a car that I believe, and hope, our team can be proud of, and which will deliver the on-track results that everybody has worked so hard to achieve,” said team principal Ross Brawn.

“Notwithstanding the distinctive nose design, which is certainly an acquired taste, the F1 W03 is an elegant interpretation of the current regulations, and a clear step forward over its predecessor in terms of detail design and sophistication.

“Last year, we produced a very bold car and, although its more radical elements didn’t always deliver the results we had hoped for, the experience we gained has been invaluable to the design of the 2012 car.

The front wing of the Mercedes GP W03 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

“The F1 W03 is also a more integrated package, which reflects the ever-strengthening ties between our technical teams in Brackley and Brixworth, and demonstrates that our Silver Arrows works team is taking the next step forward in terms of on-track performance.”

Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg are both in upbeat mood regarding the prospects of the car. They drivers are in the unusual position of already having run a shakedown day and a full test day at Barcelona that saw 354kms of proper testing before commenting.

“I have done quite a few roll-outs and launches of new cars, but even after all these years, I must say it still feels special,” said Schumacher. “Days like this are precious moments, as they are always filled with hope and anticipation. Already last week, when we were driving the F1 W03 for the very first time, it instantly gave us good feedback and sensations.

“Starting today, we will work intensively to make it a competitive runner. Obviously, we will only see over the next couple of weeks how big the step is that we have made, but I can say already that the guys and girls back in the factories at Brackley and Brixworth were brilliant in putting in so much effort, and we can only say a big thank you them.
“I know which reward they would like, and we will definitely try to deliver it. For my part, I am eager to fight again, looking forward to the new season, and I can’t wait for it to begin.”

Rosberg commented: “We have had a good start to our 2012 testing programme, and it was a great feeling to drive the first laps in the new F1 W03.

“The car looks good, and is very nicely packaged under the bodywork – all the parts are in harmony, which reflects how well the different departments of our team are working together. From the beginning of our running, we have been able to focus on understanding the car and making good progress with our test programme. It will be very interesting to learn more about where we stand in the next few weeks.”

Adam Cooper notched up his 27th season as a racing journalist in 2011. He has written about F1 for SPEED.com since 2005. Follow him on Twitter.

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