Mercedes fans jumped in delight as the Silver Arrows revealed their challenger for the 2024 season on February 14th. The new W-15 follows its predecessor from last year in having a primary black color scheme. Silver will, however, come back to the front of the car along the nose of this new model. It seems that this color combination has also caught the attention of reigning champion Max Verstappen. According to the Dutchman, the silver color is giving a ‘better look’ to the new Mercedes car.
As per X (formerly Twitter), Max Verstappen was seen expressing his opinions on the new Mercedes livery. He said, “It [the Mercedes livery] looks better than last year. For sure I think with the silver on the front.”
The 2024 Mercedes car has given up on the disastrous zero sidepod idea to embrace the ground effects regulations concept more akin to Red Bull. Following this, the team is set to give Lewis Hamilton their 12th model for the very last time.
Hamilton has previously declared that he will join Ferrari in 2025. However, before that, he gets one more opportunity to drive alongside George Russell at Mercedes.
The Mercedes team has put in a lot of effort during the winter to make the W15 better. Toto Wolff has even stated that the team has improved as a result and is excited to proceed with the W15. Nevertheless, in light of these statements from the Mercedes boss, many fans are wondering what exactly the team has changed for their 2024 car.
What do Toto Wolff and Co. expect from the new Mercedes W15 for 2024?
Mercedes dominated F1 until 2021, however following the introduction of new ground effects rules, they had several issues. They first had to deal with the porpoising problem, and in 2023, they proceeded along the wrong developmental route. However, the Brackley team is now prepared to mount a comeback after two years of bad taste in their mouth. With the release of their newly developed W15, the Silver Arrows want to catch up to Red Bull.
Although the Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff didn’t reveal his expectations from the new Mercedes car, he did say that he wanted to give its drivers a more predictable vehicle. During the launch, Wolff said, “Look inwards, like I said. Try to have a car on track that is predictable, that has lots of downforce, a strong engine.”
In summary, Wolff claims that the team wants to provide Hamilton and Russell with a car that they love driving more than the ones from prior years. The Austrian may have stated this since Hamilton and Russell made numerous remarks about the car’s comfort last year. During the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton even stated that he “doesn’t feel connected” to Mercedes W14.
However, with pre-season testing rapidly approaching, the team is optimistic that its drivers will have a strong car. However, until the W15 reaches the Bahrain circuit, things won’t become any more apparent.
