Mercedes Gives W03 Late Unveil

Mercedes GP revealed its 2012 W03 Formula 1 car at the Circuit de Catalunya this morning by drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg. As with all of the new cars Mercedes had to implement a stepped nose and do away with the blown diffuser on the new car. Mercedes claims that the car has over 200 new parts compared to last year. 

“The F1 W03 is a car that I believe, and hope, our team can be proud of, and which will deliver the on-track results that everybody has worked so hard to achieve. Notwithstanding the distinctive nose design, which is certainly an acquired taste, the F1 W03 is an elegant interpretation of the current regulations, and a clear step forward over its predecessor in terms of detail design and sophistication. Last year, we produced a very bold car and, although its more radical elements didn’t always deliver the results we had hoped for, the experience we gained has been invaluable to the design of the 2012 car," said Team Principal Ross Brawn. 

The team is hoping to move up the standings this season. 

"Our ultimate goal is to become regular race winners and championship contenders, and so to write another chapter of success in the story of the Silver Arrows which began 78 years ago. Our target this year is to take another step forward on that road,” said Vice President of Mercedes Motorsport Norbert Haug. 

Mercedes took a gamble revealing its the W03 later than the other teams. We will not really know if the delay was good for the team until the Australian Grand Prix on March 18, but it looks like Mercedes took the extra time to put extra development time into the car's nose. While it is hard to tell from the pictures that Mercedes supplied, it appears that the nose is supported on either side and is open to the body, possibly like an air scoop. It is certainly one of the better implementations of the design.