Mercedes share latest W14 development as the Silver Arrows look to mount title charge in 2023

The W14 will be unveiled by Mercedes on February 11 at Silverstone. Mercedes had a very disappointing 2022 season with a few podiums and a win at the Brazilian Grand Prix. During this launch, Mercedes are expected to have made huge changes to their cars to close the gap with the front-runners.

Next Wednesday at 9.15 am (GMT), the eight-time constructors will debut their 2023 car at Silverstone, with team principal Toto Wolff, Lewis Hamilton, and George Russell in attendance. The third driver for the Brackley team, Mick Schumacher, will also be there.

The Silver Arrows will not make any major changes with regards to their livery. They will remain black and gray with a splash of red showing their major sponsor Ineos. They won't totally give up on the "zeropod" aerodynamic theory from the previous year. Instead, all components like radiators will be positioned internally to decrease the exposed surface.

The minimum weight of an F1 car has to be within 798kgs. All teams, including Mercedes, will see this as a major challenge to slim down the car as much as possible.

In Brackley, development and simulation work is still going strong. Toto Wolff outlined his goals for the 2023 season and stated that the team is fully dedicated to the W14 project,

“If the performances are what we hope for, we could be in the fight for the top of the standings. But we don’t take this progression for granted because the gaps that existed at the end of last season could still stay the same.”

With rumors circulating, it is believed that the main goal of the Mercedes engine is to gain ten horsepower compared to last year. The Brackley-based team steadily demonstrated the potential of their engine last season with only minor reliability modifications to the crankshaft introduced at Spa; this proved to be a key factor in the team's success at the Brazilian GP.

Other changes like the new Pirelli tires, which are designed to cut understeer and provide more grip, will be used this year. A new challenge for all the teams this year will be how fast their new 2023 cars go compared to the 2022 cars.

As Toto Wolff said:

“when you start with a half-second deficit, it’s difficult to catch up to the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari”.

How will all these new updates change the teams this season? Only time can tell. Read more about the Formula One 2023 schedule.

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Where to watch the Mercedes W14 Launch

Mercedes is set to launch the W14 on 15 February at 9:15 AM (GTM). The launch will be live across the team's official social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

As part of filming day, the car will then make its track debut at Silverstone. Follow all the action via the team's official social media accounts.