The Mercedes F1 team has unveiled its W14 ahead of the 2023 F1 season and has returned to the track with an all-black livery.
The team has kept the old DNA of the car alive in the new challenger because the makers of W14 believe that there was not much to gain from starting a new concept.
Apart from the all-black livery, the W14 has also revised the front and rear suspension and has made quite noticeable changes to the bodywork.
The changes in the bodywork are meant to help the car in managing airflow in a much better way and reduce drag. The Brackley-based team had initially announced the all-black livery in 2020, so why have they returned to it in the current season?
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Why Mercedes has returned to an all-black livery?
Mercedes saw an end to its 8 years of dominance in the sport in the 2022 season as it failed to come up with a competitive car.
The Silver arrows finished P3 in the constructors’ championship as they lacked pace and suffered the immense effects of porpoising in the car.
Going ahead the top priority of the team is to return to the top of the grid and for that cause the team is trying to do everything they can in order to achieve their goal.
One of the biggest issues in the last season was the weight of the car. The 2023 cars are set to have a minimum dry weight of 798kg.
The easiest way to manage the weight of the car is by leaving the car unpainted and keeping the exposed carbon fibre wherever possible. This might only measure up to a few grams but it all adds up and makes a huge difference.
Therefore, the team decided to return to an all-black livery with Mercedes’ team principal Toto Wolff saying that the W13 was overweight. Wolff revealed that the team has not left an ounce of the carbon fibre unturned to remove every single gram from the car.
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What made the Silver Arrows select the black livery in the first place?
The Brackley-based team initially chose the all-black livery in 2020 to support diversity and equality. It was a show of a stand against racism and discrimination.
This came mainly after the world was shaken following the murder of George Floyd which triggered a massive uproar worldwide.
Following the issues of racism, Mercedes’ star driver Lewis Hamilton himself launched an initiative named the ‘Hamilton Commission’ and the ‘Mission 44.’
In a show of stand against discrimination, Hamilton and several other drivers even took knees before the start of the race.
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What does Lewis Hamilton think about the all-black livery?
Mercedes’ return to the all-black livery has turned many heads. The team seems to be all set to compete in the upcoming championship and get back to the top of the grid.
Fans have described the W14 as sensational and many have praised the team’s idea to go ahead with the no side-pods design. Many believe that this would turn out to be profitable in terms of the aerodynamics of the car since the PU is locked in until 2026.
Following the reveal, the drivers had taken the car out for its first run at the Silverstone track where Hamilton was asked about his views on the all-black livery.
The seven-time world champion said that going back to black was a huge step for Mercedes and it was a move towards acknowledging the social issues there are.
It is also a step towards making a change within a team, sport and in the wider society.
What was Mercedes’ livery in the last season?
Mercedes in the 2022 season returned to its original silver livery in the 2022 season. Traditionally, German manufacturers have raced in the silver liveries as it is the colour of the Silver Arrows and is part of their DNA.
Speaking ahead of releasing the W13 in 2022, Wolff had revealed that the black livery clearly demonstrated the mission of the team to become even more diverse and inclusive.
As much as silver is in the team’s DNA, so is black. Therefore, the W13 ran with a silver livery with a few elements of black on the design.
Back in 2022, Wolff had stated that going ahead silver and black would remain the official colours of the team.
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