Ahead of the start of the 2018 Formula One season,
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport has revealed the new Mercedes-AMG F1 W09 EQ
Power+ at the Silverstone International Circuit.
The team will look to secure yet another constructors’
championship with the new car, and has retained the services of Valtteri Bottas
and Lewis Hamilton to do so. Last year, both drivers secured a combined total
of 668 points (Hamilton won the drivers’ championship with 363 points) and the
team obtained 146 points.
As with its competitors in this season’s line-up,
the W09 adheres to the new regulations set by the FIA. This includes a
reduction in the number of power unit components made available without
incurring grid penalties, increasing the distance the hardware needs to do this
year. With 21 races this season, the joint-longest in F1 history, this is
certainly a test of any car’s durability.
Other changes include the mandatory installation of
the Halo protection device, and a ban on certain aerodynamic features. This
includes monkey seats (a small wing underneath the main rear wing), T-wings and
shark fins.
