[deetjohn]

A better pic of Schumi with the W03.


courtesy: f1fanatic.co.uk

[mgh]

pitpass - Petrov replaces Trulli at Caterham

[anachronix]

Here is a clear shot of the W03 from Silverstone Shakedown! Stepped nose, long and slim sidepods (or is it the paintjob thats fouling my eyes?)

courtesy of @f1fanatic_co_uk #F1

Originally Posted by mgh

pitpass - Petrov replaces Trulli at Caterham

So Michael is the oldest driver in F1 2012

I hope the W03 lives up to the hype and I am betting on a cracking 2012. RB shouldnt have it easy this year!

[polopm]

TRULLI OUT - PETROV IN at Caterham

Jarno Train Trulli is officially out of Caterham and been replaced by Vitaly Petrov.

Petrov in, Trulli out at Caterham | Planet F1 | Formula One News

The farewell words for Mr.Trulli are :

"I also want to take this opportunity to thank Jarno for the absolutely pivotal role he played in the formation and progression of our team since he joined us in December 2009."
"Jarno has an incredible natural talent behind the wheel, and his winning record and longevity in the sport will bear testament to that talent in the Formula 1 annals forever, but now it is time to open a new chapter in our team's story, and Vitaly is the right person to help us do that. "
"We have reached agreement with Jarno to bring an end to our partnership with him, but he will always be part of our family."


which is a nice way of telling Get over and out . Good, no more cribbing about power steering issues.


The news definitely breaks the lull (till the Merc is launched to the world).

Cheers !!

[anachronix]

What's that!? Air intakes near the head rest

Cant wait to see the whole car on 21st!



Source: AF1

[anachronix]

Enjoy the video boys

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS - F1 W03 - 21.02.2012 - YouTube

[PAVAN KADAM]

Looks like the Cat is out of the bag

Amazing sounding mean Monster.

Feast your eyes and ears guys

Wonder what kind of exhaust set-up this car is running ??

MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS - F1 W03 - 21.02.2012 - YouTube

[anachronix]

WoW!

An Ultra thin Mercedes. Look at that front wing, man it looks crazy and what an awesome packaging on the rear!

All good signs of the silver arrows coming back to life

[akshay380]

Originally Posted by anachronix

WoW!

An Ultra thin Mercedes. Look at that front wing, man it looks crazy and what an awesome packaging on the rear!

All good signs of the silver arrows coming back to life

Attachment 891727

Any linkie to this? Or a higher res pic? Yeah that wing looks something

[PAVAN KADAM]

Originally Posted by anachronix

WoW!

An Ultra thin Mercedes. Look at that front wing, man it looks crazy and what an awesome packaging on the rear!

All good signs of the silver arrows coming back to life

Attachment 891727

Originally Posted by akshay380

Any linkie to this? Or a higher res pic? Yeah that wing looks something

Looks really radical indeed

This should be the most awaited launch, by now all the teams would be waiting with bated breath to check out what Mercedes GP AMG has in store.

Need to wait for the actual launch which might happen in the next few hours

[anachronix]

The launch is scheduled for today!

There are more pictures in this link below

https://www.facebook.com/#!/media/se...1402397&type=1

[myavu]

New Mercedes W03 Formula 1 car will not feature 'big surprises' says Norbert Haug

Norbert Haug has warned that the new Mercedes MGP W03, which will break cover tomorrow, will not feature any dramatic innovations.

Glimpses seen of the car so far show that it features a stepped nose, in common with eight of the other teams to have launched 2012 machinery. But despite speculation that Mercedes' decision to skip the first test might be motivated by a desire to hide an as-yet unseen technical innovation, Haug insists that the priority has been to come up with a well-packaged car rather than pursing any eye-catching new concepts.

"I don't think that your eye will be caught by any big surprises when you see the car during the unveiling," Haug told AUTOSPORT. "But I certainly hope that we have some clever solutions and we have some good ideas incorporated on the car.

"It's a good base to work from and certainly we will not turn the world upside down, but we do need to make a good step [with this car]."
The new car has already taken to the track twice, once during a filming day at Silverstone last Thursday and in a private test at Barcelona yesterday. Haug is hopeful that the W03 will prove the effectiveness of the changes that have been made at the team over the past year, but stopped short of saying it marked a new beginning for Mercedes.

He is determined for Mercedes take on the top three teams, but admitted that this has to be viewed as a long-term project given the intensity of competition.

"I wouldn't say that it's a new start," said Haug. "This car is the product of what we have learned in the last two years.

"We had three podium finishes in the first year, but last year we did not head in the right direction. We had some highs, like the Chinese Grand Prix when the track was front-tyre limited and the performance was a little better. But over the course of the year it wasn't good enough.

"To be a regular contender with Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren is quite a task. We need to learn, we need to develop our team in that direction and I'm sure that we can do that."

The new Mercedes will break cover at Barcelona on Tuesday morning ahead of the start of the second pre-season Formula 1 test.

Source :New Mercedes W03 Formula 1 car will not feature 'big surprises' says Norbert Haug - F1 news - AUTOSPORT.com

[myavu]

Mercedes officially unveils the F1 W03



Mercedes GP has officially unveiled its 2012 challenger, the F1 W03, at 08:15 this morning in the pitlane of the Barcelona circuit ahead of the start of the second pre-season Formula 1 test. The team’s driver line-up consisting of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg were on hand to present the car to the media. Schumacher will be the first to drive the new car at the Barcelona test, before handing over to teammate Rosberg the following day.

Mercedes opted to delay running of its new car until the second pre-season test session in Barcelona, instead running their 2011-spec car for the first three days at Jerez.

However, since the team missed the fourth day of testing at Jerez, they were allowed to make up the day in Barcelona on Sunday and completed over 300 kilometers with the W03.

Although Mercedes did not reveal the W03 in full until today, the team released a ‘sneak preview’ video last Friday. The video showed a behind-the-wheel view of the new car, which was filmed the previous day during shakedown of the new car at Silverstone.

The F1 W03 project was begun in May 2011 and is the first full car produced by a technical team that was strengthened last year with recruitments at every level of the organisation. The new car, which is composed of some 4500 parts compared to 4300 parts in 2011, has nevertheless achieved a lower core weight than its predecessor, is better packaged and more efficient. All mandatory FIA crash tests had been successfully completed at the first attempt by the end of the first week of January 2012.

“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,” commented 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 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.”

Nico, who drove the first laps in the F1 W03 on 16 February in Silverstone, 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.”

Michael, who will complete the first full day of official testing with the new car today in Barcelona, commented: “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. 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.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, concluded: “2012 will mark the third season for our Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows works team, which was introduced in January 2010, and our target is to take a step forward in on-track performance. A lot of work has been done throughout the last year, not just to design the new car but also to build a technical organisation that is capable of delivering to its full potential, with consistency. Our ultimate goal is to become regular race winners and championship contenders, and so to write another chapter of success in the story of the Silver Arrows which began 78 years ago. Our target this year is to take another step forward on that road.”

Source: Formula One | Mercedes officially unveils the F1 W03

[anachronix]

Lot of pictures here from the launch

https://www.facebook.com/#!/media/se...4538259&type=1

[anachronix]

Michael's initial impressions on the W03 covered by Gary!

BBC Formula 1 2012 - Schumacher optimistic after test driving new Mercedes W03 - YouTube