Key details about Mercedes W13 for F1 2022 season revealed

Mercedes became the first team to fire up their new car ahead of the 2022 F1 season a few days ago.

The firing was ahead of schedule for Mercedes, who normally fire up their car a month before the start of the new season.

The reigning constructors' world champions shared a video on social media announcing that their new car, the W13, 'was alive'.

They did not reveal too much in the clip as pre-season preparations for 2022 are in full swing for all teams. However, we will try and breakdown all the key details that have been revealed about Mercedes' new car thus far.

The W13 will usher in the start of a new era for Mercedes. A slew of incoming regulatory changes promise to shake up F1 to make it a more competitive spectacle.

Mercedes have had this in mind throughout 2021. This could be why they did not make major updates to their W12 following the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

The first key change Mercedes' W13 will have over its predecessor is a new single-exhaust terminal. This means Mercedes' 2022 car is not expected to feature two pipes coming out of the wastegate valve. However, they can get creative and find loopholes in the regulations for modifications.

Mercedes have also reportedly run a host of simulations of their W13 on Virtual Test Tracks (VTT)

VTT sessions can help Mercedes learn more about their new car and how it is developing. Pre-season testing is scheduled to happen in the last week of February. Mercedes will want all the data they can get when they arrive in Barcelona.

VTT sessions are preferred to normal simulators by Mercedes as they imitate the conditions that can be found on the track. This is what will allow teams to be able to test aerodynamics, mechanics, power unit and transmission together.

Mercedes deserved 'much more' from 2021 season, feels Jean Todt

Mercedes were deserving of 'much more rewards' for their efforts in 2021, according to former FIA President Jean Todt.

Speaking to the media at the FIA Prize giving ceremony in Paris earlier this month, Todt said:

“I think, in a way, I feel sorry, because Mercedes should have much more reward, as eight-time world champion for the manufacturers is unique."

Todt was refering to Mercedes' unprecedented dominance during the Turbo Hybrid Era. The team from Brackley and Brixworth won eight constructors world championships out of eight. They also had seven out of eight drivers' world championships, with six for Lewis Hamilton and one for Nico Rosberg.

Mercedes will have their sights set on starting 2022 where they finished 2021.

Early developments suggest they already mean business going into the new campaign. Toto Wolff and Co. will hope that their development pays dividends when lights go out for the season opener in Bahrain.

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