2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

Red Bull’s 2023 F1 car hits track, but secrecy continues.
Red Bull’s RB19 Formula 1 car has made its track debut at Silverstone, but the champion team’s secretive approach to the 2023 pre-season continued.
19:13 Fri, 10 Feb 2023.
By Matt Beer
The Race

In a repeat of its 2022 tactics, Red Bull held its launch event using a show car that will bear little resemblance to what actually appears for testing, and has now held a shakedown run without – at least so far – offering any publicity images from it. It only released a short video clip on its social media channels in which the car cannot be seen clearly.

Red Bull later put out a short video clip of world champion Max Verstappen giving his initial take on how the day had gone. “I’ve just driven the RB19 for the first time,” he said. “Of course it’s a filming day but it was a good first impression.

“Everything worked very well, everything worked very smoothly, so that’s exactly what you want from a day like this.” Outside official testing, F1 teams are limited to two runs of up to 100km – usually referred to as ‘filming days’ – with their current machinery during the season.

‘RB19 secrecy continues’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/red-b...ecy-continues/


Verstappen pleased with “really smooth” first run in new Red Bull at Silverstone
2023 F1 season
Posted on 10th February 2023, 17:4410th February 2023, 22:58
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

World champions Red Bull have run their new car for the first time in secret at Silverstone. Max Verstappen was pleased with his first run in the team’s new car. “Of course it was a filming day but I think it was a first good impression,” he said. “Everything worked really well, everything worked really smooth.

“So that’s exactly what you want from a day like this and now I’m of course very excited to go to Bahrain.” Red Bull held a season launch event in New York last week at which they presented a show car which they referred to as the RB19. They previously confirmed the car displayed was not their true 2023 design.

Team principal Christian Horner said the car presented in New York “isn’t a total reflection of what will hit the track in Bahrain in a couple of weeks’ time” when pre-season testing begins. “The car that was shown today obviously will be somewhat different when you see it in Bahrain,” he added.

‘ “Really smooth” first run’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/02/10/...l-silverstone/


Red Bull complete secret shakedown of 2023 car
10 February 6:05PM
Author Luke Murphy
Co-author Dieter Rencken
RacingNews365

Red Bull have given their 2023 car, the RB19, a first test outing with a shakedown session at the Silverstone circuit. Red Bull's car for the 2023 season, the RB19, took the track for the first time in a shakedown session at the Silverstone circuit, without prior warning.

The car was driven by Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez at the home of the British Grand Prix, with official 'third' driver Daniel Ricciardo sitting out this particular test session.

The Milton Keynes team were able to complete a 'filming day', permitted under the regulations, with Pirelli demo tyres, which is common practice among teams prior to testing.

‘Secret shakedown’;

https://racingnews365.com/red-bull-c...wn-of-2023-car


Sergio Perez has pushed Red Bull’s RB19 development in a ‘certain direction’
10 Feb 2023 12:15 PM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Sergio Perez believes this year’s RB19 is more suited to his driving style, having bemoaned last year’s upgrades favoured his team-mate Max Verstappen. Asked at the team’s launch if he could avoid last year’s mid-season slump, he replied: “Yes, certainly. There are things that we are going to work on.

“We believe that the car is already going to be better. I’ve been pushing the team in a certain direction, and we believe we’re heading in that direction. “But we’ll see. Once we get the car, it’s all about adapting ourselves to the car and try to maximise it.”

Perez concedes his side of the garage made mistakes last season, most notably with the set-up of the car which cost him performance. He believes those lessons learned will stand him in good stead for 2023.

‘Adapting ourselves to the car to maximise it’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/sergio...ain-direction/


Sergio Perez wants to battle Max Verstappen in 2023.
Sergio Perez won two races compared to Max Verstappen’s 15 in 2022.
10 February 2023
by Jack Devonport
Formula1 News

When speaking about his ambitions for the 2023 season at the Red Bull season launch in New York, Perez has claimed that he cannot rely on help from others this season, insisting that it is only up to him to be successful.

“I’m 100% responsible for that [my own success] to work together with my team, to have a good plan, to follow it,” he told The Drive. “And to be able to find the consistency throughout the whole season that will be the main key for us.”

The 33-year-old has recently suggested that after two seasons of adapting to driving a winning car, he finally feels capable of mounting a serious title challenge in 2023, even if it involves battling with Verstappen.

‘Only up to him to be successful’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/sergio-pe...appen-in-2023/

[Fortitude]

What Alfa’s track running has revealed about its 2023 design.
The Alfa Romeo C43 became the first genuine 2023 Formula 1 car to hit the track on Friday, revealing key details that were hidden when the car was launched earlier this week.
Feb 10 2023
By Edd Straw
The Race

The real car features a floor-edge treatment similar to that of the Red Bull RB18. It also features a slot in front of the rear wheel echoing that introduced by Ferrari and also used by Aston Martin and, for a period, Red Bull last year.

The launch show car and renders also had different rear suspension configurations, but the car that ran at Barcelona continues to have pushrod rear suspension. This is possible because while Alfa Romeo uses Ferrari gearbox internals, it makes its own casing both for cost-cap efficiency reasons and to have greater freedom in suspension geometry.

As the team promised, the front end of the car has not changed significantly. The front wing is a similar shape to last year, with the slightly wavy mainplane design continuing to be used and offering relatively consistent load across the span of the wing. The front wing endplate has a similar edge to the one introduced by Haas last year.

‘First genuine 2023 Formula 1 car to hit the track’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-...s-2023-design/


Bottas feedback steering Alfa Romeo in ‘right direction’
Saturday 11th February, 2023 - 12:58am
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe

Speaking at the team’s launch earlier in the week about his role in the development of the car and the feedback he provides, Bottas said: “It’s definitely been interesting. Like I’ve said multiple times, in this team, I feel like my role has been very different to what I have ever had really in Formula 1. [I’ve had] a bit more involvement, a bit more information going through me in a way.”

“Obviously, the work started early last year together. I tried to give all my experience and technical knowledge that I could from the past and then that work continues. Throughout last year, whether it was an issue with the car balance or whatever, we are always feeding back [information] the best we can and when I am at the factory, I like to get updates on how things are going.”

Bottas has confirmed being free to pose “any ideas or questions” that lead to open conversations and aid with the feedback. “It’s a really open situation in the team and I love to know always as much as I can about all the details with the new car,” added the 33-year-old Finn. “It’s fair to say, the setup direction we have gone with, the development of the car balance throughout the whole of last year has gone in the right direction and that work continues.”

‘Bottas feedback’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/02/11...omeo-feedback/


First laps of a 2023 F1 car are complete as Alfa Romeo test C43 at Barcelona
10 Feb 2023 4:34 PM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com

Alfa Romeo have become the first team to give their 2023 car a rundown by taking the C43 to the track in Barcelona, in what they described as a “pivotal moment” in their development. The Swiss outfit broke the tradition of car unveilings this week when instead of revealing a dummy car, they showed off their actual contender for the 2023 season.

While Alfa still have time to make changes before the start of the season in Bahrain, they decided not to do like many other teams and produce a car that would have little resemblance to the one they use in the first race. The C43, which featured a striking new black and red design, took to the track for the first time on Friday as Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu and Théo Pourchaire put in some laps at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The Spanish track has traditionally been the testing ground of choice for the F1 teams given its European location but in 2023, official pre-season testing will take place in Bahrain. It was Bottas who was given the honour of being the first one to drive with Alfa tweeting a video of the Finn emerging from the garage in the sunny Spanish conditions.

‘The Swiss outfit broke the tradition of car unveilings, showing off their actual contender for the 2023 season’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alfa-r...c43-barcelona/


Gary Anderson: Sauber’s new F1 structure looks as clear as mud
16:40 Fri, 10 Feb 2023
By Gary Anderson
The Race

When you are running a Formula 1 team, or any business for that matter, you need to set up a clear management structure. There are different ways to organise this, but if you do it right everyone knows what they are responsible for and who they ultimately answer to.

The Alfa Romeo team is going through some major changes. The Alfa Romeo deal concludes at the end of 2023 and Audi has already bought 25% of the Sauber team, a stake that will grow to majority ownership by the time it becomes the works Audi team in 2026.

With Frederic Vasseur leaving his role as team principal to join Ferrari and Andreas Seidl joining from McLaren as Sauber Group CEO, there were also big personnel changes over the winter. As part of this, Sauber has appointed Alessandro Alunni Bravi as what it calls ‘team representative’.

‘Looks as clear as mud’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-...-clear-as-mud/


Where 2023 Alfa Romeo F1 car has borrowed from rivals: C43 aero analysis
February 9th 2023
Author Kyle Forster (Kyle Forster worked as an aerodynamicist at Mercedes-AMG F1 from 2018-2020 and runs the JKF racing engineering consultancy.)
Motor Sport Magazine

Alfa Romeo provided the first glimpse of a 2023 Formula 1 car at its launch event. Aerodynamicist Kyle Forster finds plenty of detail to delve into. The Alfa Romeo C43 is our first look at a launch car that clearly has elements of a 2023 car. It’s definitely got some carryover elements from last year, as well as some things that are hidden and de-featured, but there’s a lot to discuss that could very well be seen on the real thing.

The front wing is not hugely different to last year – in fact looks like it’s completely unchanged – so this is likely just for the reveal unless Alfa Romeo has had a particularly bad off-season in the wind tunnel. I would expect this to change a fair bit for testing.

Here’s a quick recap of what it’s likely doing: it’s very heavily centre-loaded, which means Alfa is likely trying to extract a large amount of the front balance of the car from this region and not using it to generate a huge Y250-like vorticity (named after the 250mm neutral area either side of the nose, which featured on cars until last year).

‘2023 Alfa Romeo F1 car has borrowed from rivals’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...3&nowprocket=1

[Fortitude]

How to watch the launch of McLaren's 2023 MCL60 F1 car.
McLaren are set to become the latest F1 team to unveil their 2023 car, the MCL60. Here's how you can watch the event live.
13 February 8:00AM
Author Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

With the unveiling of the McLaren MCL60 Formula 1 car, it will mark the halfway point of launch season in 2023. The Woking squad are set to take the covers off the car named to celebrate 60 years since founder Bruce started his eponymous squad, in a break with the sequential numbering scheme, meaning the MCL37 must wait until 2024.

The McLaren MCL60 launch will be at 17:00 UK time on Monday 13 February. This is 12:00 Eastern Time or for those in Australia – homeland of new driver Oscar Piastri – it is a 04:00 start on Tuesday morning for those on Australian Eastern Standard Time.

McLaren are presenting the launch on their YouTube channel from 17:00 UK time on Monday 13 February. You can view the event by clicking here. Alternatively, the launch is set to be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 in the UK from the McLaren Technology Centre.

‘Watch the event live’;

https://racingnews365.com/how-to-wat...3-mcl60-f1-car


'Time is right for McLaren to succeed in F1 — and Oscar Piastri is key'
February 12th 2023
Author Adam Cooper
Motor Sport Magazine

The 2023 season is an important one for McLaren, which launches its car tomorrow, and there’s no question that the team has to show signs of forward progress.

Logic suggests that the time is right for one or the other of McLaren, Alpine and Aston Martin to close the gap to the top three, and potentially take the fight to them on a regular basis.

McLaren is also one of several competitors heading into this season with a new team principal, with Andreas Seidl gone to Sauber and Andrea Stella promoted from his previous role – in essence head of the team’s race weekend operations – to that of overall boss.

‘McLaren to succeed in F1’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...3&nowprocket=1


McLaren must reverse its recent slide in 2023 to hold on to rising star Norris
2023 F1 team preview
Posted on 12th February 2023, 19:0012th February 2023, 15:07
Written by Keith Collantine
RaceFans

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown’s rebuilding of the team following his arrival at the end of 2016 hit a couple of significant snags last year. It began promisingly, yielding third place in the 2020 world championship, the team’s best result for eight years. The following season McLaren finally returned to the top step of the podium at Monza.

That was achieved with a car which had been converted to use a Mercedes engine in place of a Renault. So with a reset of the technical regulations coming for 2022, and the technical team having the opportunity to integrate their power unit in a ground-up design, better things were expected.

They did not materialise. The team fell to fifth in the championship standings, scored not much more than half its 2021 points tally, and mustered just a single podium appearance, at Imola. Though to their credit, they were the only other than Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes to achieve a top-three finish.

‘McLaren must reverse its recent slide’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/02/12/...g-star-norris/


Norris interview: How he became the driver that buried Ricciardo
Feb 13 2023
By Edd Straw
The Race

Superficially, McLaren driver Lando Norris’s Formula 1 development has stagnated. In 2019, he spent much of his impressive rookie season finishing in the bottom half of the points and exactly the same was true in 2022. Given McLaren’s timeline for emerging as a frontrunner longer-term, he’s set to harvest plenty more results to add to his haul of 42 finishes from sixth to 10th.

The key word here is superficially. If you delve a little deeper, the 23-year-old has evolved significantly in his four seasons in F1. Without doing so, he couldn’t have demolished Daniel Ricciardo so comprehensively last year in a tricky-to-drive McLaren. It didn’t show in the results, but Norris delivered his most consistently impressive season yet in 2022 with a myriad of high-class drives usually rewarded only with a modest number in the results column.

We’re likely to have to wait a little longer before Norris can be tested at the front of the F1 field, so for now we can only evaluate him based on the challenges he has faced. And as much as demolishing Ricciardo over two years – with the advantage growing in the second of those seasons – has enhanced Norris’s reputation, there comes a point where this is of limited value.

‘The driver that buried Ricciardo’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/norri...ied-ricciardo/


McLaren Might Partner With Honda in F1 Again: Report
After its rough breakup in 2017, McLaren and Honda have apparently made initial contact over a 2026 engine deal.
PUBLISHED Feb 11, 2023 6:30 PM
By Chris Rosales
The Drive

The phrase “nothing is impossible” has been taken to new, stratospheric heights: McLaren and Honda are in the earliest stages of forging a possible engine partnership for 2026. This comes after its unbelievably rough stint together as McLaren-Honda from 2015 to 2017 that resulted in McLaren’s worst seasons for a long time and Honda’s broken reputation as an engine manufacturer.

According to The Race, initial contact has been made between the two former technical partners to possibly strike up an engine deal for 2026. It’s in its very earliest stages with no real formal talks, but both are exploring their options every team on the grid is seeking the best possible match for the upcoming 2026 ruleset devoid of the costly MGU-H.

There are interesting politics here, with the previous McLaren-Honda partnership ending as badly as anything, while its ‘80s and ‘90s partnership with Ayrton Senna was the stuff of legends. 2017 was a difficult time for McLaren, with the team swamped internally with infighting that led to the ousting of Ron Dennis, who was instrumental to the success of the team in the ‘80s and ‘90s. McLaren also took the position of blaming Honda for its performance deficit in the early days of the V6 turbo-hybrid era. Though Honda was unreliable and underpowered back then, McLaren learned the hard way that the Honda power unit was not their only problem after a switch to Renault.

‘McLaren and Honda have apparently made initial contact’;

https://www.thedrive.com/news/mclare...1-again-report

[Fortitude]

How to watch the launch of Aston Martin's 2023 F1 car.
Aston Martin are set to launch their 2023 season, with the team expected to show off their new car ahead of pre-season testing.
13 February 8:55AM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365

Aston Martin are the next team in line during this busy week of car launches which also includes McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes and Alpine. It is expected that the squad will be showing off the actual AMR23 at the event, alongside drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Here is everything you need to know about the event.

The Aston Martin launch will be taking place at the team's headquarters in Silverstone, UK on Monday 13 February at 19:00 GMT. This will be 20:00 CET. It is expected that Aston Martin will show off the actual AMR23 chassis, after Deputy Technical Director Eric Blandin confirmed this would be the case.

"We will unveil the actual car, just as we did last year," he said in an Aston Martin interview. "The car we reveal at our new factory in Silverstone on 13 February will be the real AMR23. We're not going to disappoint fans."

‘Team expected to show off the actual AMR23 chassis’;

https://racingnews365.com/how-to-wat...ns-2023-f1-car


Will Alonso’s arrival kick Aston Martin into a higher gear in 2023?
F1 2023 team preview
Posted on 13th February 2023, 7:0012th February 2023, 20:36
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans

The Silverstone squad had always punched above its weight, so the natural strategy was for the team to bulk up in order to join the real heavyweights. But serious levelling-up requires serious investment and Aston Martin’s benefactors have injected over £200m into an all-new, state-of-the-art factory to transform them from perennial midfield runners to genuine contenders.

Sitting alongside its previous facility on the same plot, the 40-acre, three-building factory will feature a new wind tunnel, swanky new staff offices and a new design, research and development hub tailor-made for F1’s new budget cap age. While not all of it will be completed in 2023, the main building is due to open up for the first time later this year – the first big step on what Aston Martin hope will be a journey to becoming title contenders.

Fernando Alonso’s switch from Alpine to Aston Martin was a shocking move eclipsed only in drama by Oscar Piastri refusing his subsequent call-up by Alpine in order to sign for McLaren. Alonso joins his sixth factory of his F1 career even hungrier for that elusive third world championship than ever before. F1’s most experienced ever driver is under no illusion that he may have to wait even longer to get a chance. “I’m not thinking about timeframes and how long it will take the team to win races,” Alonso said. “I will take it race by race, season by season. What’s important is that we keep making progress.”

‘Kick Aston Martin into a higher gear’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/02/13/...-gear-in-2023/


Fernando Alonso on what Aston Martin need to do to become F1 World Champions
11 Feb 2023 4:00 PM
Mark Scott
PlanetF1.com

Fernando Alonso has said it is going to take some outside-of-the-box thinking for Aston Martin to achieve their dream of winning the World Championship. Alonso is the new man to spearhead Aston Martin towards the upper echelons of the F1 grid after jumping ship from Alpine and replacing the now-retired Sebastian Vettel.

The Spaniard knows a thing or two about winning silverware in F1 having won two World Championship titles and believes the key to success is constant evolution through creative thinking. If you stand still in F1, you will get left behind. “We have to use our ingenuity and be creative in everything we do,” Alonso said.

“You have to reinvent yourself every season, every race, to try to outperform your competitors – this is the biggest challenge for any F1 team. It starts with an idea. But when will it be possible? What do you need to do to make it possible? This is what you have to keep asking yourself. This is what you have to keep working towards. We have the talent in this team. When we go racing, we need to execute every race to perfection – to maximise the results from the ingenuity that has gone into the car.”

‘On what Aston Martin need to do to become F1 World Champions’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/fernan...rld-champions/


Christian Horner is hearing ‘big numbers’ from a potential surprise F1 2023 rival
12 Feb 2023 7:45 AM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

When discussing possible surprise rivals for Red Bull in F1 2023, Christian Horner namedropped a very confident Aston Martin team. The chasing pack then will be looking to stop Red Bull’s roll going any further, with Ferrari and Mercedes expected to be their main challengers. But, could any of the remaining seven teams step up?

Now armed with the services of two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin are investing heavily in their facilities and workforce for a push to the top of Formula 1, with the AMR23 challenger therefore needing to be a marked improvement on its predecessor.

And with the bullish Aston Martin talking “big numbers”, it makes them one to watch for Horner. Asked by Auto Motor und Sport if a surprise contender could emerge in F1 2023, Horner replied: “You never know, I mean Alpine made progress in the second half of the year. Aston Martin, we keep hearing big numbers coming out of there in their expectations, so you just don’t know in terms of what the running order will be.”

‘Very confident Aston Martin team’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/christ...-aston-martin/


Fernando Alonso makes HUGE Lance Stroll claim
Sunday 12 February 2023 16:00
Stuart Hodge
GPFans

Fernando Alonso believes his new Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll has the potential to become an F1 world champion one day. Two-time king of the grid Alonso has signed a multi-year deal to spearhead the iconic brand's bid to reach the summit of the sport one day.

Now 41 years old and the elder statesman on the 2023 grid, Alonso understands that the famous green livery may not achieve those heady heights while he is still behind the wheel. He believes though that his 24-year-old Canadian team-mate can continue to carry the torch.

Speaking in an UNDERCUT interview on the team's website, Alonso said: "I will still be very proud if the team wins without me in the car. I will be very proud of the process and my contribution to the project. "In Lance, the team has a driver who is super young, super talented and has the possibility to be World Champion. To see him achieve that and have played a part in that, whether that's behind the wheel or not, will be special for me."

‘HUGE Lance Stroll claim’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...orld-champion/

[Fortitude]

McLaren presents 2023 F1 car and livery for 60th celebratory year.
McLaren has revealed the first glimpse of its 2023 Formula 1 car livery as it prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary since forming under founder Bruce McLaren.
13th Feb 2023, 17:26
Hamilton Lyndon-Griffiths
Read Motorsport

Having ended a nine-year victory drought in 2021, McLaren slid to fifth place in the constructors’ championship last season. The Woking-based team initially struggled to adapt to the new rules before clawing back performance through the season, securing its only podium finish of 2022 at round four in Imola.

A year-long battle with Alpine eventually swung in its rivals favour, losing out on P4 in the constructors’ standings at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. 2023 is a year of change for McLaren as it welcomes a new driver and sees a major shift to its management structure.

Lando Norris heads McLaren’s refreshed driver line-up, looking to build on an impressive 2022 campaign that saw him finish seventh in the drivers’ championship despite the team moving further adrift of F1’s frontrunners. Norris will be partnered by rookie Oscar Piastri after Daniel Ricciardo’s exit, who arrives with huge expectation having won in every junior category he has competed in on route to F1.

‘2023 F1 car and livery for 60th celebratory year’;

https://readmotorsport.com/2023/02/1...ebratory-year/


F1: McLaren set top four goal as they unveil MCL60.
13th Feb 2023, 17:31
By George Dagless
Give Me Sport

McLaren are aiming to top the midfield in 2023. McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has said that they are aiming to be in the top four this coming F1 season.

The Woking-based team finished the 2022 campaign in P5 in the standings with a slow start to the year really costing them, whilst ultimately they just did not have the pace to really consistently beat Alpine, who came fourth, and the fact it was as close as it was in the end was real testament to the efforts McLaren put in.

They're hoping for a better season in 2023, then, and it is clear that the aim is to finish at least one place higher in the table come the end of the upcoming campaign, as they try and close the gap to the established top three of Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari.

‘Set top four goal’;

https://www.givemesport.com/f1-mclar...-unveil-mcl60/


VIDEO: McLaren show off their striking MCL60
13 February 6:30PM
Author RacingNews365 Staff
RacingNews365

McLaren has released a video of their striking new MCL60 which will be driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

After lifting the covers off their 2023 challenger, McLaren has released a video showing off the detail of their MCL60.

The team is celebrating the 60 years since it was founded by Bruce McLaren in 1963, with the car sporting a striking papaya orange livery with blue streaks and 'exposed carbon' look.

‘McLaren show off their striking MCL60’;

https://racingnews365.com/video-chec...-mclaren-mcl60


McLaren "not entirely happy" with launch-spec F1 2023 car
13 Feb 2023
Lewis Larkam
Crash.Net

New McLaren boss Andrea Stella says the team are “not entirely happy” with their 2023 F1 car but is hopeful early-season developments will bring “a good step”.

While team principal Stella said McLaren have addressed most of their targeted areas for improvement, he admitted some elements of their 2023 car were not fully capitalised after the team “realised a little late into the development some really strong directions”.

Addressing media at the MTC including Crash.net, Stella said: “We have to say that assessing our performance last year and looking at competitors, we identified multiple areas of opportunities. “The good news is that pretty much all of them have been addressed. I wouldn’t want to be too specific, but certainly they have to do predominantly with the aerodynamics.”

"Not entirely happy";

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/102021...ec-f1-2023-car


The McLaren MCL60 has arrived, now it is time to take a closer look
13 Feb 2023 5:19 PM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

McLaren kicked off a busy day of Formula 1 launches with the reveal of the MCL60, and it certainly is sporting a lot of black. As McLaren move on from their MCL36 challenger of 2022, their new model for the 2023 campaign, the MCL60, on first glance has us playing a game of spot the difference, with a plentiful list of similarities between the MCL36 and MCL60.

The resemblance though is not quite as extreme as the one seen between the Red Bull RB18 and RB19, with this McLaren MCL60 sporting some unique visual characteristics to call its own. So, let’s delve into some of these details. Black has sadly become a key colour for many Formula 1 teams in this new regulatory era, as the scramble to find ways of shaving weight off the cars has made the paint job a cheap way of saving some grams.

It is little surprise then to see the MCL60 going in heavy on the black, a challenger named specifically to mark the team’s 60th anniversary. There is also a nice mark to the significance of this year in the team’s history at the bottom of the nose cone.

‘McLaren MCL60 has arrived’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/mclaren-mcl60-gallery/

[Fortitude]

Aston Martin debut the AMR23.
Aston Martin revealed their new green machine from their Silverstone headquarters.
13th February 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Heading into their third season as Aston Martin, the team will be looking to improve on the P7 they’ve achieved in the championship in the past two years and also make a return to the podium after Sebastian Vettel’s P2 in Baku 2021. The AMR23 sees the team once again bedecked in their British racing green with darker carbon fibre elements on the lower portions of the car.

Aston Martin say that their new challenger is a “considerable evolution” on the AMR22 and their Technical Director, Dan Fallows, says they have improved on last season’s car in “every critical area” as they try to take the fight to the frontrunning teams.

“The design team was adamant that it wanted to tackle these regulations without compromise,” Fallows said. “We want to move up the grid and start challenging the teams at the front – and you can’t do that by sitting back and being conservative.

‘Tackle these regulations without compromise’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/aston-mart...he-amr23-80893


TECH ANALYSIS: Unpacking the 'aggressive' new Aston Martin AMR23
13 February 2023
Special Contributor
Mark Hughes
Formula One - Official Site

Aston Martin have taken the covers off their brand-new challenger, the AMR23 – but how different is their new design compared to last year's car? F1 technical expert Mark Hughes has a look... Aston Martin’s new AMR23 embodies a clear break in technical leadership for the team, with Dan Fallows having been involved in the new car’s gestation from the start while previous chief Andy Green has moved on to a non-F1 part of the team, heading up Aston Martin Performance Technologies.

Fallows has overseen an extremely aggressive approach to improving on the team’s 2022 performance. Not only is it aerodynamically quite different, but the mechanical aspects have been completely overhauled and a very rigorous approach has been taken in getting the car down to the weight limit.

Fallows has overseen an extremely aggressive approach to improving on the team’s 2022 performance. Not only is it aerodynamically quite different, but the mechanical aspects have been completely overhauled and a very rigorous approach has been taken in getting the car down to the weight limit. Visually, the car bears a very strong visual resemblance to last year’s Red Bull RB18 in its post-Monza update form. The sidepod and engine cover contours are remarkably similar.

‘Aston Martin AMR23’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...dp3xtgqwx.html


Gary Anderson: Red Bull influence clear on new Aston Martin
Feb 13 2023
By Gary Anderson
The Race

Most of the 2023 Formula 1 cars we’ve seen so far have had sidepods that are a cross between Ferrari and Red Bull’s designs from last year. But you could easily say that the Aston Martin AMR23 is more of a Red Bull than the others.

Obviously under the skin they are all a bit different but we can only comment on what we see and last year the big visual differences was in the sidepods: the bulbous Ferrari solution, the detailed Red Bull and the zero sidepod Mercedes. Strangely (or perhaps not) we haven’t seen many of the latter so far this year.

On the Aston Martin you can see the bulge for the lower side impact structure (SIP) (highlighted with the yellow ellipse), the undercut flow lines and the laid-back radiator inlet are all Red Bull-style. One of the interesting features on the Aston Martin sidepod upper surface is the deep gulley. Alpine had something similar last year – see comparison below – and we have all seen what we have called the Ferrari ‘bathtub’ sidepod top.

‘Aston Martin AMR23 is more of a Red Bull than the others’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-...-aston-martin/


‘Bold and aggressive’ AMR23 has more going on than just the Red Bull-esque sidepods
14 Feb 2023 7:30 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

With a touch of Red Bull for the sidepods and a sweep of Mercedes at the rear, Aston Martin technical director Dan Fallows has called the new AMR23 “bold and aggressive”. The former Red Bull aero chief spoke to the media as Lance Stroll and his new team-mate Fernando Alonso unveiled their 2023 car.

It was notably different to last year’s AMR22. The car features a new sidepod design, heavily revised front wing and a different engine cover that comes with a larger roll hoop inlet. “We went into this year trying to be bold and aggressive, to try to take on the lessons from last year,” declared Fallows.

“We want to move up the grid and start challenging the teams at the front – and you can’t do that by sitting back and being conservative.” Pundits were quick to note that the AMR22 has been influenced by Red Bull’s championship-winning RB19, Fallows having joined Aston Martin in April last season after parting ways with Red Bull.

‘Bold and aggressive’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/bold-a...bull-sidepods/


Video: ‘Aggressive’ start from Aston Martin’s vital new recruit
Feb 14 2023
The Race

Aston Martin’s 2023 Formula 1 car is visually striking, “aggressive” in its creators’ own words, and a landmark in the ambitious development of the team. That’s because it’s the first car overseen by perhaps its most important recent recruit. And we’re not talking about Fernando Alonso.

We’re in fact talking about technical director Dan Fallows, one of a swathe of new personnel who have joined Aston Martin in recent times. He arrived in April last year from Red Bull, which was very reluctant to let him go, and he has overseen the Aston Martin AMR23 from its inception.

Given his background and Red Bull’s dominance of F1 last year, it’s no surprise that the car takes plenty of design cues from the all-conquering RB18. But that’s not to say it’s a copy, far from it, as there’s also some inspiration from Mercedes and what Aston Martin hopes are its own fresh ideas that will give it a car capable of fighting at the front of the midfield this year.

‘Aston Martin’s vital new recruit’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/video...ew-f1-recruit/


‘Super motivated’ Alonso spent four hours in sim before Aston Martin launch
Tuesday 14th February, 2023 - 10:30am
By Ian Parkes
Speedcafe

Aston Martin performance director Tom McCullough has revealed Fernando Alonso spent four hours in the sim ahead of the F1 team launching its 2023 car. McCullough has described Alonso as “super motivated” upon his winter arrival from Alpine, with the two-time Formula 1 champion displaying an early level of determination that is driving forward Aston Martin.

In that regard, the 41-year-old is putting in the time and the effort, starting with the sim, as he embraces his latest new working environment. “When you have a new driver you get his input, and that’s what we’ve spent most of the winter really doing,” said McCullough to invited media, including Speedcafe.com.

“It’s still going on. Fernando spent four hours in the simulator ahead of everything else he was doing (for the launch). That’s the sort of push we are getting from him. He’s massively motivated, pushing us all really hard because he wants to do really well, just like we do.”

‘Super motivated’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/02/14...martin-launch/


Fernando Alonso: 'Leading the midfield' is the aim for 2023 after the winter of 'physical and mental' preparation.
14 Feb 2023
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Fernando Alonso feels more 'optimistic' than ever before in his first season with Aston Martin team and hopes to 'fight for some podiums' in 2023.

'Leading the midfield';

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/v...075532711.html

[Fortitude]

TECH ANALYSIS: Ferrari's 2023 SF-23 – A complete redesign or subtle evolution?
14 February 2023
Special Contributor
Mark Hughes
Formula One - Official Site

Ferrari launched their brand-new SF-23 on Tuesday and it seems they've continued with last year's philosophy. Mark Hughes looks at why the Scuderia have focused on improving, rather than overhauling, their design.

"Our 2023 car is an evolution of the one we raced last year, but in reality, it has been completely redesigned," said Head of Chassis Area Enrico Cardile as he outlined the changes. "On the aerodynamic side, we increased vertical downforce to adapt further to the new aero regulations and achieve the desired balance characteristics. The suspension has also been redesigned, to support aerodynamics and increase the range of adjustments that can be made to the car at the track.

"The most obvious changes are in the area of the front suspension where we have moved to a low track rod. The front wing is also different, as is the construction of the nose, while the bodywork is a more extreme version of what we saw last season."

‘TECH ANALYSIS’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...uddhNCb06.html


‘Brave’ Ferrari has rescued 2023 F1 launch season
Feb 14 2023
By Matt Beer
The Race

“I don’t want to speak about the others,” said Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur of rivals’ 2023 Formula 1 car launches. But then he pretty much did anyway. And then Carlos Sainz well and truly emphasised the point.

It wasn’t just the media invited to Fiorano. The Tifosi were there too, in their own grandstand. And the car wasn’t just on display, it fired up and did its shakedown – under 15km ‘demonstration run’ regulations – in front of the live audience. And its drivers weren’t hanging around either. “I think it was amazing – and I’m going to allow myself to give praise to the team for what they could organise,” said Sainz.

“Formula 1 needs these kinds of events, where you bring all the media and fans and partners and engineers and mechanics, all together, and do a proper presentation with the car running without too much privacy. We were brave as a team to do it. It’s the first ever installation lap we did with that car. It can always go bad. We took the risk and I hope you enjoyed it because I definitely did.”

‘Proper presentation with the car running without too much privacy’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/brave...launch-season/


Ferrari detail evolution design process behind its new 2023 F1 car
14/02/2023, 15:30
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Ferrari’s technical chiefs have opened up on the detailed changes made to the team’s brand-new challenger for 2023, the SF-23. The Italian team began the latest ground effect era by emphatically securing a 1-2 at the opening race of 2022, but its F1-75 quickly fell behind in the development rate as the season progressed against a rapidly improving Red Bull outfit.

“Our 2023 car is an evolution of the one we raced last year,” Ferrari’s Head of Chassis Area, Enrico Cardile, clarified after the launch of the team’s new car at Fiorano. “But, in reality, it has been completely redesigned. On the aerodynamic side, we increased vertical downforce, to adapt further to the new aero regulations and achieve the desired balance characteristics.”

“The suspension has also been redesigned, to support aerodynamics and increase the range of adjustments that can be made to the car at the track. The most obvious changes are in the area of the front suspension where we have moved to a low track rod. The front wing is also different, as is the construction of the nose, while the bodywork is a more extreme version of what we saw last season.”

‘Ferrari detail evolution design’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...w-2023-f1-car/


Frederic Vasseur announces significant Ferrari changes after strategy errors
Ferrari were plagued by strategy mistakes last season as Charles Leclerc's hopes were damaged.
15:42, Tue, Feb 14, 2023
By Luke Chillingsworth
Daily and Sunday Express

Frederic Vasseur has confirmed Ferrari will make changes to their strategy team after a range of errors last season. The Frenchman suggested the Italian marque would be making “small adjustments” ahead of the new season.

The former Alfa Romeo principal previously claimed he would not be making wide-scale changes but has since accepted some tweaks were necessary. He explained: “Yes we will make some small adjustments.”

“What I said last time is that you see just the visible part of the iceberg. When you spoke about strategy, you were speaking about strategist and strategy. But it's not just one person pushing on a button. It's software, it's the team at the factory, and it's also [a] process on the pit wall. It's a complete picture rather than about one person."

‘Significant Ferrari changes after strategy errors’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...gy-news-latest


Ferrari drivers’ early verdict after SF-23’s ‘high-risk’ debut.
14th Feb 2023, 15:54
By Josh Suttill and Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

Speaking after his first two laps with the SF-23 at Ferrari’s 2023 launch at the team’s Fiorano test facility, Leclerc tentatively said he felt things had moved in the right direction. “It feels good, it feels a little bit different,” Leclerc said when asked by The Race for his first impressions of the SF-23.”

“But to be honest, it’s difficult, especially on track now to really feel the differences because it’s only two laps. I wasn’t pushing that much, I tried to but obviously, we’ve also demotored [turned the engine down] etc, so it’s difficult to get a proper feeling but from the work we’ve done, I think we’re going in the right direction.”

“We took a lot of the 2022 car’s weaknesses and tried to work on them, especially on the simulator, we’ve had some really positive signs. But we still need to wait until the test in Bahrain, when we’ll push the car for consecutive laps, to see whether this progress is also valid in reality.”

‘Feels good, it feels a little bit different’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/ferra...n-2023-f1-car/


Can Vasseur change Ferrari’s ‘stable’ culture?
14 February 6:00PM
Author Dieter Rencken
Co-author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365

During today’s Ferrari SF-23 launch it was all wide smiles and hearty laughter, but these don’t win world championships. RacingNews365 Editorial Director Dieter Rencken examines incoming team boss Frédéric Vasseur’s to-do list and wonders whether the Frenchman will be empowered to make sorely needed changes.

This begs the question: What does Vasseur - a man steeped in motor racing and in Formula 1, but with smaller, less pressure-packed teams - need to do to stay the distance required to deliver Ferrari’s first title(s) in 15 years?

On the surface, Ferrari has it all: top dollars, top facilities, top drivers, top staff. However, these the Scuderia oft had access to, being by-products of Maranello Mythology that attracts the best to what is otherwise a rural Italian town. Virtually every top F1 engineer or driver either served the Prancing Horse or regrets being unavailable when the call came. Through circumstances at Sauber Vasseur was a free man at end-2022.

‘Need to do to stay the distance required to deliver?’

https://racingnews365.com/can-vasseu...stable-culture


Gary Anderson: Ferrari has innovations the FIA might query.
When you see the facilities that Ferrari has at Fiorano, including the test track, it is almost impossible to understand why it could ever be beaten.
14th Feb 2023, 14:12
By Gary Anderson
The Race

As well as complying with the regulations, there’s always the question of what’s called ‘primary purpose’. So if there’s something on the car that is legal and ostensibly for one reason – in this case maintaining the slot gap – but the FIA believes it’s for another – for example aerodynamic gain – then you can hit trouble.

It looks like Ferrari has generated more of a one-sided aerodynamic profile, a bit like an upside down wing. This is optimised to control the airflow coming off the trailing edge of the front wing and realign it as well as possible to improve the performance of the leading edge of the sidepod.

The actual body profile in the coke bottle area – where the body narrows towards the rear tyres – is a little more bulbous, taking up some of the coke bottle opening. This is one area that varies dramatically on the Ferrari from the other cars we have already seen, and I’m not sure I am a fan of this solution.

‘It is almost impossible to understand why it could ever be beaten’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/ferra...a-might-query/

[Fortitude]

How to watch the Mercedes W14 2023 F1 launch.
The covers are coming off the Mercedes W14 2023 F1 car - here's how you can watch live!
15 February 8:00AM
Author Jake Nichol
RacingNews365

After being dethroned in 2022, Mercedes will be hoping that their new W14 Formula 1 car will have them back fighting for titles in 2023. The W13 secured only one win through George Russell as Lewis Hamilton went winless for the first time in his F1 career and recorded a career-worst sixth in the standings.

A fundamental car problem with the floor hindered the W13 throughout the year, meaning it could not cope with Red Bull or Ferrari. Mercedes are adamant that they have identified and will fix the problem on the 2023 car - time will tell...

Mercedes will be launching the W14 2023 F1 car from 09:15am UK time on Wednesday 15th February from Silverstone. That is 04:15am Eastern Time. The car is expected to be shaken-down by one of the drivers shortly after the covers are taken off.

‘The covers are coming off’;

https://racingnews365.com/how-to-wat...2023-f1-launch


Can Mercedes bounce back from troublesome W13 with W14 success?
15 Feb 2023 6:00 AM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

F1 2023 launch season continues, and it is now the turn of Mercedes to show off their new challenger, with the W14 set to be unveiled on Wednesday.

The Silver Arrows saw their eight-year Constructors’ Championship winning streak end in convincing style last season with the arrival of ground effect aerodynamics in Formula 1’s rules overhaul, with Red Bull and Ferrari comfortably quicker than the sport’s previous dominant force for much of the year.

Chiefly, the troubled Mercedes suffered with ‘porpoising’, the aerodynamic oscillations which see the cars bottom out and ‘bounce’ off the track surface, causing great discomfort to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in terms of driving experience, but their lack of raw pace compared to their front-running rivals also made for a long, difficult season by their standards last year.

‘Bounce back’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/merced...3-car-preview/


What Mercedes can do to ensure 2023 renaissance
Tuesday 14 February 2023 22:56
Jack Walker
GPFans

The 2022 F1 season saw Mercedes endure their worst year since 2011, finishing third in the constructors’ championship with only one win to their name.

The 'zero-sidepods' concept. Technical director Mike Elliott has previously shared his “surprise” that no other team found the loophole in the new F1 regulations that allowed the zero-sidepod concept to be used.

Reliability is key. Mercedes only suffered from one DNF caused by a mechanical failure in the whole of last season, that coming in the closing laps on Hamilton’s car in Abu Dhabi, which was a much better record than their rivals.

‘2023 Renaissance’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...russell-wolff/


Will Mercedes finally conquer porpoising – and regain their lost crown?
2023 F1 team preview
Posted on 14th February 2023, 18:4215th February 2023, 6:37
Written by Will Wood
18:44 Tue, 14 Feb 2023.

When winning becomes a win of life, nothing is more painful than losing. For almost 160 grands prix and eight seasons, Mercedes’ supremacy in Formula 1 was near-absolute. Any who dared to challenge their might were quickly humbled. Until Max Verstappen and Red Bull fought them to the brink of defeat in 2021.

The final laps of the deciding race “robbed Lewis Hamilton of a deserved world championship”, in the words of team principal Toto Wolff. Disgusted by the events which cost their driver an unparalleled eighth championship – while nonetheless acknowledging Verstappen as a worthy champion – Mercedes channelled that anger over the winter. The W13, the first of a bold new ground-effect era, was to be the most aggressive car Brackley had produced.

But that intense desire to remind the paddock who the best in the world truly was only made their eventual failure all the more painful. The 2022 season was nothing short of a disaster for the former all-conquering Mercedes team. Rather than fighting to reclaim what Red Bull took from them, their radical design approach produced far more problems for their drivers than benefits it provided. Hamilton and new team mate George Russell rarely found themselves capable of competing for wins.

‘When winning becomes a win of life, nothing is more painful than losing’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/02/14/...ir-lost-crown/


Lewis Hamilton to benefit as Mercedes 'find horsepower gain' despite Alpine suspicion
Alpine are said to be suspicious of their F1 rivals over the improvements they have been able to make to their engine performance, despite the 'freeze' currently in place
20:54, 14 Feb 2023
By Daniel MoxonF1 Writer
The Mirror

Mercedes may benefit from up to 10 horsepower more of power from their engines this year after making reported progress over the winter. The Silver Arrows will uncover their W14 car, to be drive again by Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, on Wednesday. They will be desperately hoping it will be more competitive than its predecessor, which left Mercedes adrift of Red Bull and Ferrari in the 2022 standings.

How competitive their latest creation will be be remains to be seen. However, if a report from Italy is to be believed, Mercedes will be able to count on a more powerful engine. In doing so, Mercedes will apparently "gain a double-digit value". The report comes after it was claimed that Ferrari could have up to 30 horsepower more in their own power units – a rumour which was recently dismissed as a "joke" by new team boss Frederic Vasseur.

Meanwhile, Alpine are said to be suspicious of their fellow constructors amid ongoing power unit work to improve reliability. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Enstone outfit are concerned that Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull might all be pushing the rules despite the engine 'freeze'.

'Find horsepower gain';

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...icion-29218418

[Fortitude]

Mercedes take in first laps with W14 in Silverstone shakedown.
The Silver Arrows unveiled their return to the black colour scheme on their livery from the 2020 and ’21 seasons with the launch of the W14 at Silverstone in the morning, before Russell got behind the wheel to take in laps of the Northamptonshire track in the afternoon.
15 Feb 2023 3:53 PM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

Mercedes have shared the first photo of the W14 on track as George Russell took in laps of Silverstone as the team took part in a shakedown on Wednesday.

Russell and Lewis Hamilton will have both had the opportunity to drive the car on Wednesday, though Mercedes also had to share the track with Silverstone-based Aston Martin, who were separately conducting their own shakedown of the AMR23 just a stone’s throw from their factory.

Taking part in a press conference after his allotted running, Russell reported no major issues from the W14 on its initial runs, but when asked if the porpoising which plagued its predecessor last year was present on this year’s challenger, he remained coy, saying: “We’ll see next week”, in reference to the more extensive three-day pre-season test in Bahrain from 23-25 February.

‘W14 in Silverstone shakedown’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/merced...one-shakedown/


Fans think Mercedes have found a loophole in FIA rules after unveiling stunning car for 2023 season
15/02/2023, 14:09
Marcus Chan
SPORTbible

Fans think Mercedes have found a potential loophole within the FIA rules after unveiling their car for the upcoming 2023 season. On Wednesday morning, Mercedes revealed their car for the new F1 season, reverting to a stunning black livery after racing in silver in the last campaign.

After dominating the sport from 2014 to 2021, Mercedes fell to third place last year after their car failed to live up to expectations. This time around, they are hoping the new W14 will be able to close the gap between themselves and rivals Red Bull and Ferrari. Perhaps unsurprisingly, fans have been getting excited over the new car and the new livery.

One fan on Reddit has also managed to pick out the fact that Mercedes may have found a loophole in the FIA regulations which will help the performance of the car. The fan posted pictures of the car’s new front wing and said: “Mercedes have managed to ingeniously connect the front wing to the end plate slot, keeping the concept alive after FIA banned it for this season.”

‘Found a loophole in FIA rules’;

https://www.sportbible.com/formula-1...51413-20230215


Gary Anderson: The course corrections in Mercedes’ F1 2023 design
Feb 15 2023
By Gary Anderson
The Race

Last year, the big visual difference between the Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes was the sidepod concept. Ferrari has stuck with its concept, albeit with a few refinements, and we haven’t seen the Red Bull in detail yet, but the big question was always whether Mercedes would make a change.

Now we’ve seen the Mercedes W14, we can say it has stuck with its 2022 philosophy for 2023 but with some differences. Any technical analysis of the car at this stage comes with warnings about the fact we can only judge it based on what we’ve seen so far. F1 teams have conned the world before and I’m sure will again, but we have at least seen the real car and can judge the direction taken.

Technical director Mike Elliott has talked about the main objectives of reducing weight (hence the black paintjob), achieving a more consistent balance across the speed range and improving the aerodynamic characteristics. There have been changes not only to the shape of the car but also to the suspension geometry and cooling.

‘Course corrections’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/gary-...1-2023-design/


Mercedes launch sees the team back as the Black Arrows
15th February 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Mercedes became the latest team to uncover their 2023 challenger as they debuted an all-black W14 at Silverstone earlier today. Unpainted carbon fibre is a feature of many cars this season as teams do everything they can to cut weight. Mercedes ran black painted cars in 2020 and 2021 to show their support for diversity and equality, but this time the more functional reasoning for the choice does harken back to when they acquired the “Silver Arrows” nickname.

“When you look at where the story of the Silver Arrows came from,” CEO & Team Principal, Toto Wolff said, “it’s that the Mercedes was put on track – the race car it was white, overweight, a little bit of our story last year – and they scratched off the paint, and it ended up with bare aluminium, and the car made the weight.

“So we came back, we really tried to get the weight off the car in every single bit and therefore on the paint side we committed in gaining the grams by leaving the car matte carbon, and history repeats itself. Just in this case it’s a modern material, carbon, and not aluminium, and it’s black.”

‘Black Arrows’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/mercedes-l...k-arrows-80916


‘So far so good’ says Russell after Mercedes complete W14 shakedown at Silverstone
15 February 2023
Formula One - Official Site

The new Mercedes W14 has made its debut on track with George Russell in the cockpit of the car at Silverstone. Aafter taking the W14 on track for a shakedown run at Silverstone, following the car's launch on Wednesday morning. "So far so good, everything ran very smoothly [in the shakedown] and it’s just great to get behind the wheel and see the car in the flesh."

Russell added that this year's shakedown was far better than that of 2022, when a storm and torrential downpours made for "absolutely crazy" conditions at Silverstone. "It’s been a smooth day, but it’s just so difficult to say [where we stand]," said Russell.

"Last year we came away from that shakedown not with so many thoughts to be honest – we were so compromised by weather – but you’ve got to take the results for today with a pinch of salt and make sure there’s no major scares and just make sure the car’s running OK into Bahrain. That’s going to be the true test. As much as we want to get the most out of it, a day like today, it’s kind of meaningless."

‘So far so good’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...D3ZQqo6Fz.html

[Fortitude]

Video: Mercedes’ 2023 F1 car choices – and its lack of optimism.
Mercedes revealed its 2023 W14 Formula 1 car on Wednesday, and while there were lots of interesting features to talk about on the car, there wasn’t a huge amount of optimism around the team.
Wed, 15 Feb 2023
The Race

Mercedes gave off a vibe of knowing it could still start the season behind, and even though it has retained its unique sidepod design, there were hints that this could change in the early races of the year when the first car updates are introduced.

Glenn Freeman, Scott Mitchell-Malm and Edd Straw discuss all the interesting features on the W14, including the team’s performance-related decision for going back to running a black livery, in our latest video:

‘Lack of optimism’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/video...k-of-optimism/


Mercedes find ‘estimated’ 0.3s with weight saving for F1 2023?
16 Feb 2023
Connor McDonagh

With Mercedes returning to a black livery for 2023 in a bid to save weight, could they return to being a title challenger again in F1? According to a report from corriere.it, Mercedes could have found an estimated 0.3s in lap time by the weight they have saved with their new W14.

Explaining this decision, Toto Wolff told media including Crash.net: “We are on the weight limit what or we wanted to achieve and obviously when we looked at all the weight savings, everybody needed to make a commitment.

“So it is really a performance issue, but then there is not tonnes of weight you can save on the paint but it shows the intent of what we do and the narrative is just right, not only because of the historical context of how the Silver Arrows were created but also our attempt in painting the car back several years ago is still valid. So it all kind of made sense.”

‘0.3s with weight saving’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/102032...ht-saving-2023


Back in black: The win-or-bust gamble that risks ending the Mercedes era
February 16th, 2023 1:12 pm
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
Fox Sports (Australia)

The Silver Arrows are back in black for 2023. Mercedes pulled the covers off its 2023 challenger, the W14, in a slick but understated online launch this week to reveal it was returning to the darker hues of its 2020–21 cars. But the decision was about more than just style. As is increasingly the trend in Formula 1, much of the car is unpainted carbon fibre in a desperate measure to reach the minimum weight.

The opportunity for a livery redux was just a bonus. And squeezing the most out of what it’s got is the name of the game for Mercedes this year, for while the colour might be significantly different, the car’s geometry still shares the fundamental DNA of last year’s problemed machine.

Despite slipping from the constructors championship in 2021 to a distant third last year with just a solitary win, Mercedes is doubling down on the concept it debuted under the 2022 rules. Team designers are adamant the performance is in there to be unlocked by some key off-season changes. If they’re right, Brackley will be launched back into the fight for regular wins.

‘Win-or-bust gamble’;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...df663c09a9d277


Toto Wolff admits unique Mercedes sidepods may ‘change a little bit’ in early races
16th Feb 2023, 08:39
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

Toto Wolff has said the ‘zero-pod’ design at Mercedes may not last forever in its current guise, as upgrades are applied to the new W14. “Throughout last season, we have analysed it back and forth, whether it was right or not and obviously you can see the sidepods are very different to any other car, but we believe that this is not the performance relative part,” Wolff explained to media including PlanetF1.com at the launch of the W14.

“Obviously, there is no such thing as a holy cow here. We are looking at everything and, on the sidepods, this is the first iteration, and when we’re going through the first few races, that’s going to change a little bit.”

“But like Mike [Elliott, technical director] said in the launch, [if] you want to change your concept completely then [you’re] making not one step back, but probably two, three – and that’s why we stayed where we are. And I love the fact that we are bold, we stayed bold, and we are just continuing to follow what the science says for us.”

‘Analysed it back and forth’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/toto-w...depod-changes/


This is what will happen to Mercedes’ hated W13 F1 car from 2022
16 Feb 2023
Connor McDonagh

Mercedes’ troubled W13 F1 car will remain in the team’s factory reception as a “symbol of boldness and courage”. Mercedes endured a season to forget - by their high standards - winning just one race during the entirety of 2022. However, the W14’s predecessor has found a new home at Mercedes’ base in Brackley.

The W13 will remain in the team’s lobby, so any staff or visitors will be able to see it on entry. Speaking after yesterday’s launch, Wolff told media including Crash.net the reasons for this decision. “Yeah it’s going to go in the lobby but I’ve changed my approach a bit. I wanted to put it in the lobby as a reminder that you must not rest on your laurels, but I want to place it in the lobby as it is a symbol of boldness for me, and courage.”

We took a radical design direction last year and we dared, and we failed. So for me that shows a lot about the mindset of the team, in how it is important to cope with success and failure, and I wouldn’t want us to go in any shape or form conservative in the future. I want us to take calculated risks and be bold.”

“You must not rest on your laurels”;

https://www.crash.net/f1/news/102034...13-f1-car-2022