Mercedes shows off sleek new F1 car for Russell and Antonelli
Mercedes has finally revealed the livery and first look at their W17 car that George Russell and newcomer Kimi Antonelli will race next season.
They’re the fourth team to unveil their 2024 challenger, following Red Bull, Racing Bulls and Audi earlier this week.
This reveal marks a crucial moment for the team. After four disappointing seasons in the ground-effect era, Mercedes now has a major opportunity to reset under the new regulations.
The W17 has been generating serious buzz in the paddock for months.
Industry insiders have actually tipped Mercedes as early favorites heading into the new season. That speculation has only grown stronger since rumors emerged about their “compression-ratio trick” on the new power unit.
This innovation is reportedly giving them a significant horsepower advantage over competitors – and more importantly, faster lap times.
While the car shown today is just a preview (the final version will look quite different), it gives us our first real glimpse of what Mercedes has been working on.
The livery features some notable changes compared to last year’s design.
Silver still dominates the color scheme with those familiar turquoise Petronas stripes, but there’s definitely more black on display than last season. You’ll also spot the Microsoft logo prominently placed on the engine cover following their recently announced partnership with the tech giant.
The sidepods have gotten a makeover too, with four black stripes running across the upper section.
Mercedes isn’t wasting any time getting the W17 on track. The team heads to Spain next week (January 26-30) for their Barcelona shakedown – the first of three test sessions before the season begins.
Can this be the car that returns Mercedes to championship contention? The early signs look promising, but we’ll have to wait until testing to see if the performance matches the hype.
