• by H. Mayor / photo: Mercedes F1

Beast!!!!! Three words and one image on Twitter to sum up his first impressions at the wheel of his new machine this season. Lewis Hamilton is well known for its ambition and for being highly demanding on his team which make his enthusiastic words after a shakedown run of his new Mercedes W08  all the more significant. On board the W08, Bottas and himself will fight to defend their title as  F1 world leaders.

Silverstone was the track chosen by Mercedes to unveil its new machine. At the track the three times champion expanded on his twitter commentary for the media: “The car honestly just feels almost identical to last years car in terms of the ergonomics, the seat position and steering, but then you’ve got bigger and this more powerful beast around you.” “It is the most detailed piece  of machinery I’ve seen so far in F1”.

The developing season will unravel for us the structural performance of a very elegant and sophisticated vehicle with plenty of new features such as heavily detailed aerodynamic parts behind the front wheels, the new  out-sweeping diffusers to lure the air from underneath the car and the carefully sculpted bargeboards.

Hybrid technology

It remains to be seen how this new car’s engine responds and its performance evolves, particularly considering the series of regulations and alterations that this year have been assimilated in the design. Mercedes’ clear world dominance over the past few years has been clearly associated to the appearance of hybrid technology. Andy Cowell, chief team engineer’s words in Silverstone suggest the possibility of an important boost. “They said we were about to hit a wall but we haven’t noticed any of that this winter”.

It is less than a month to the start of the World Championships where Mercedes will fight for its fourth consecutive title. Hamilton  wants another victory himself after the surprise by colleague Rosberg in 2016. He has not only a brand new single seater but a new team mate and the prospect of  achieving great things together.