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With just a few weeks to go until the first race of the 2018 FIA Formula One season, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport has taken the wraps off the all new Mercedes-AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+.
Team partners, guests and media joined the team for the unveiling show at the Silverstone circuit in England, while Mercedes fans from Bahrain and around the world watched the action live online.
For one fan in particular, shakedown day turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Having won the team’s launch contest, he and his stepdaughter were invited for a VIP experience on-site. The event also paid tribute to Mercedes’ motorsport history, featuring emotional footage of some of the team’s most painful defeats and most thrilling victories.
As the ‘most advanced machine’ ever conceived by Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport, the 2018 car aims to write its own chapter while at the same time pushing the technological.
The F1 W09 EQ Power+ is improved in every area over its predecessor and will become the fastest Mercedes Formula One car in history, its technicians say.
The EQ Power+ designation places the F1 car and its state-of-the-art hybrid power unit at the forefront of the future Mercedes-AMG line-up, showcasing how F1 technology is accelerating the future of motor racing and automotive technology in general.
The launch was part of the team’s official 100km filming day, during which the F1 W09 EQ Power+ completed its first laps of Silverstone’s 2.98km international circuit with Valtteri Bottas behind the wheel. Lewis Hamilton’s run in the car took place in the afternoon.
“It is always a very exciting time because what has been designed is coming together and coming alive,” said Toto Wolff, team principal & CEO of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport.
Since Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport started working on the new car nearly 7,000 drawn parts have been created and more than 40,000 components have been through non-destructive testing inspection.
Last year’s Championships don’t impact the way the team prepares for the season. Every member knows that the points reset to zero for 2018 – and that even greater challenges await.
Andy Cowell, managing director of Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains said. “There is no secret formula to what we do. It is plain, honest engineering work.”
The outcome of roughly a millennium’s worth of working hours, the new car is more than a machine. It’s a demonstration of teamwork and represents the hopes and dreams not just of the drivers, the team, its partners and the entire Daimler family – but of Mercedes fans all around the world.
The drivers were obviously appreciative.
“It’s really amazing to know how many hours have been spent on designing and manufacturing the new car and how much effort people have put into it,” said Bottas. “As a driver you feel really special to be able to drive that machine.”
“It’s very humbling to see everything coming together,” agreed Hamilton. “I’m one of only two people who get to drive it and there’s this proud feeling because I know how much work has gone into getting the car ready.”
The all-new F1 W09 EQ Power+ shares some of the DNA of its predecessor. Affectionately dubbed a ‘diva’ for its occasional lack of predictability, the 2017 Mercedes F1 car was nevertheless the most successful car of the past season.
The aerodynamic regulations remained largely stable for the 2018 season, with the introduction of the Halo and the ban of both monkey seat and high T-wings being the biggest changes.
So the team chose to follow a similar design philosophy, aimed at developing the many strengths of the 2017 car and improving its weaker areas.
“We like some of the character traits from our diva,” explained Toto. “The W08 was the fastest car on the grid, scoring the highest number of pole positions and winning the most races last year. So we were careful not to lose the car’s many strengths just to overcome the difficulties.”
The new car stays true to the general design principles of its championship-winning predecessor, retaining the same wheelbase and running slightly increased rake. However, working with a well-understood set of regulations meant the team could push the design to greater extremes in every area.
The new power unit M09 EQ Power+ has been developed to meet substantial changes in the Sporting Regulations for the 2018 season. The reduction in the number of power unit components that can be used per driver per season without incurring grid penalties meant that durability had to be extended to withstand the higher distances the hardware now has to run.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport will race with the same driver line-up that won a total of 668 points last year, winning the Constructors’ Championship by 146 points. The expectations for the new season are predictably high.
“I want to use all the things that I learned last year,” explained Valtteri. “This year is all about executing and delivering the results. For me, consistency is the key. I had some really good races, but then I had races where I was not on the level I wanted to be. I want to be on a good level on every single race weekend – that’s going to be the goal for me this year. I definitely want to fight for the championship.”
Lewis will start his sixth season with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport in 2018. His record with the team is impressive and includes four Constructors’ and three Drivers’ Championships as well as 41 race wins.
“It has just been a dream experience – working with the greatest team and extending my relationship with Mercedes who I first signed with when I was 13. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster together.”
What’s more, Lewis believes his relationship with the team can get even better in the future: “Mercedes already is the best team and it continues to grow ever stronger. The foundation is very strong and now they’re putting the right building bricks in place for the years ahead. I think the team is going to continue to grow and I hope that I can be a part of that for as long as I can.”
The team also announced its reserve drivers for the 2018 season. Duties will be shared between 2017 GP3 champion George Russell, who will compete in FIA Formula Two this year, and Pascal Wehrlein, who will combine his reserve driver role with a return to the DTM, where he won the title in 2015.
