As crazy as it sounds, successfully wrapping the first test-session of a new season is both an end and a beginning. Not only is it the culmination of countless hours of knuckle-busting in the workshop over the winter, but it is also the official start of a fresh assault on a new championship. Up until the point which a team’s car cruises down the pit-lane, ready to launch into its first public laps, everyone is in a state of lockdown; guarding the details and developments that have taken months to realize into metal and carbon-fibre.
Barely 24 hours ago, the Mercedes AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team broke that silence at the Circuit de Barcelona Cataluña; pulling the covers off their highly anticipated 2016 race car – the F1 W07 Hybrid.
While the iconic Silver Arrow paint scheme may look more than familiar to fans, there have been huge rafts of changes under its carbon-fibre skin. A long list of regulation updates from F1’s governing body – the FIA – has meant everything from tyres, driver safety, power output, and even engine sound feature needed to be worked on. In the words of Mercedes Technical Chief Paddy Lowe – a series of ‘mini revolutions’ have taken place at Brackley and Brixworth in order to bring a competitive car to the grid for this season.
It’s with good reason, as the W07 has big boots to fill. In the last two seasons alone the Mercedes squad have taken four championship titles, as well as 32 victories and 36 pole positions.
At first glance, the biggest and most noticeable changes are structural around the driver – where the side protection areas have been raised up, and strengthened, to survive three times the impact force they did previously. A larger airbox intake, directly above the driver’s head, feeds the incredible Mercedes 1.6 V6 turbocharged power-train, which now pumps out close to 1000bhp. What’s more, the W07 now has the bark to match its bite. At the rear of the car there are three separate exhausts – one main, and two for the turbo waste gates – in place of last year’s single pipe, making the car a predicted 25% louder than its predecessors.
First up at the wheel was Lewis Hamilton, who racked up a phenomenal 156 laps – almost three Grand Prix worth. “It`s good to be back. It really had felt like a while – but now it feels like home already,” said Lewis after his final session.
“The team has done an incredible job to get the car running the way it has – completing so many laps with no real problems. That`s seriously impressive on the first day, so fingers crossed it continues. Barcelona is one of the best circuits to test a new car, too. It`s got a wide range of corners and the weather`s always good, so overall it`s been the perfect way to kick off the year.
“Of course, it`s still early days. It`s hard to say how the others look at this point and we won`t know how competitive we are until everyone really starts pushing. But we`re not looking too bad, that`s for sure. Every season you have to assume is going to be the toughest competition yet, so that`s how I`m approaching it. I hope the Ferraris are up there with me and Nico this year, as that would be exciting for the fans and exciting for me too.”
The test continues with Nico Rosberg taking the wheel for day two at Barcelona. Stay tuned.