Mercedes announce date for 2024 F1 car reveal
Mercedes will unveil their 2024 F1 car on Valentine’s Day at Silverstone as momentum builds towards the new season.
The Silver Arrows endured a difficult 2023 campaign, finishing second in the constructors’ championship behind runaway leaders Red Bull but unable to win a race for the first time since 2011.
Lewis Hamilton has not been victorious in more than two years and the seven-time world champion, alongside British team-mate George Russell, will be desperate for a car which can challenge Max Verstappen out in front this year.
Confirmation came on Monday morning that Toto Wolff’s team will launch their 2024 challenger – the W15 – on Wednesday 14 February at Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix.
Wolff has also signed a new three-year extension with the team, taking him up until the end of the 2026 season.
Hamilton, Russell, Wolff and test driver Mick Schumacher are likely to be present for the event, which will be live streamed on Mercedes’ social media channels.
Wolff admitted after the final race of the 2023 season that his team have to climb “Mount Everest” in order to catch Christian Horner’s Red Bull team.
“Red Bull started the new regulations in 2022 with a massive advantage and they have been able to maintain it,” Wolff said.
“We have a lot of respect for their achievements – from the engineering side, and the driver – and beating them under the current regulations is against the odds. Mount Everest is in front of us.”
Alpine also announced their car launch date on Monday, with the French team revealing their 2024 car a week earlier on Wednesday 7 February.
The 2024 F1 season gets underway with the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday 2 March.
Pre-season testing, at the same circuit in Sakhir, is from 21-23 February when onlookers will get their first real viewing of the cars in action on track and whether anyone can challenge Red Bull’s pace this year.