Mercedes AMG Petronas finally reveals F1 W04 for the 2013 season

The Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team finally unveiled the F1 W04 after much teasing and suspense over the weekend at the Jerez circuit, in southern Spain. Making their own dramatic arrivals were drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, each driving a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupe Black Series.

The unveiling was teased by a progessive online on their website and Twitter. However the rather dragging weight drew criticism from fans on social media with the weekend long teaser. Some fans went as far as making a movie poster parody of 'Dude Where's My Car?'.

"The atmosphere in the team is very positive and the people are highly motivated to succeed. And, of course, I have a new teammate with Lewis. It's his first time in the Silver Arrow and I look forward to working together and pushing each other hard, to make this the best team in Formula One," said Nico Rosberg.

A shakedown run in the morning with Rosberg behind the wheel of the F1 W04 previewed the much-awaited reveal. Hamilton was scheduled for his stint with the Silver Arrow for the first time in the afternoon, he is also the first British works driver since Sir Stirling Moss in 1955.

"It's a very special day for me to officially present our Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrow to the world. There is no company with a longer history in Grand Prix racing than Mercedes-Benz and it is an honor for me to tread in the footsteps of legends like Juan Manuel Fangio, Sir Stirling Moss and Michael Schumacher. It's the start of a new chapter for me, a new adventure, and when I walked through the doors in Brackley, I was so excited to get down to work," said Lewis Hamilton

The car development is mostly concentrated on aerodynamics since technical regulations remain unchanged for 2013 in anticipation for major rule changes in 2014. A new five-element front wing design and a second-generation Coanda exhaust at the rear highlight the design philosophy of the new car. The front suspension retains its pushrod setup, while the rear suspension retains its pullrod setup for optimum tire life and performance. The aggressively packaged rear end was designed to optimize aerodynamic development potential. A new small 'vanity panel' which offered a small aerodynamic gain, replaces the stepped nose design found in the F1 W03.

"In the fortnight since I joined the team, I have been impressed by what I have found. The people are highly motivated, open-minded and determined to succeed. Our drivers are hungry for success, too, and it will certainly be fascinating this season to see how Nico and Lewis perform together. Ultimately, though, Formula One is very straightforward and the only thing that counts is lap time," said Toto Wolff, Executive Director of Mercedes AMG Petronas.