Mercedes-AMG Petronas pulled the covers off its new W08 F1 car for the 2017/18 season - at a windy Silverstone circuit.
Drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas were on hand to reveal the latest race car, which features many changes over last year’s model due to F1’s new regulations.
Marking a new era for Formula 1, Hamilton, who got to drive the Silver Arrow just before the launch said the car “Felt incredible” to drive and was “the most detailed piece of machinery I’ve seen in Formula 1 so far”.
Like all cars taking part in the forthcoming Formula 1 Championship, the W08 runs on wider tyres due to the new regulations, and is lower, wider, faster and louder than last season, as the FIA aim to bring a bit more excitement back to the sport. Hamilton also described how there is still a lot of work to do in understanding the new tyres and how they will react.
Team mate Bottas, who was clearly excited to be part of the Mercedes F1 team, couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel saying that today was “a big day for me, driving a Silver Arrow for the fist time is something very special”.
The W08's reveal comes one month before the 2017 Formula 1 World Championship kicks off on 26 March in Melbourne, Australia.