Mercedes reverts to Silver Arrows robe for slick new W13

Mercedes F1 has unveiled its 2022 contender, the W13 that will tackle the start of Formula 1's new era and the Brackley squad will do it with a proper Silver Arrows.

After racing in black for two seasons as part of its anti-racism message, the reigning world champions have reverted to their classic silver color for their all-new slick design, a car which Mercedes says is "98% new and freshly designed from tip-to-toe with minimal carry-over from its predecessor".

The new car still features some black trim running along its side with the traditional turquoise color of  title sponsor Petronas, while its engine cover remains emblazoned with an array of three-point stars.

"Ever since work on W13 began, I have seen an excited enthusiasm in our team members like never before, thanks to the scale of opportunity that these technical regulations provide," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.

"Towards the end of the year when the car build project truly came together, I felt a deep passion across the whole organisation, not only in the technical arena but across our bases at Brackley and Brixworth who were embracing a mindset of 'we can do this'".

"We did pretty well during the last big regulatory change into the hybrid era and performed well when we went from the narrow to the wide cars in 2017.

"While we have a good track record, my message is clear: we can't rely on past success for this year's performance, but we can rely on our people, our culture, our structure, and our mindset to do the best possible job for 2022."

• Read also: Wolff 'never worried' Hamilton wouldn't come back in 2022

To defend its Constructors' title, Mercedes will rely on a mega-talented new driver pairing consisting of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and his new teammate George Russell.

"I have never seen him more determined," said Wolff. "Lewis is the best driver in the world, and he is joined by one of the brightest and most promising of their generation in George.

"George is just getting on with the job. I know he's had a good winter of training and we've seen him in the factory, working on the simulator and with his engineers.

"This team has always been his home and therefore the transition to driving for us has been very smooth.

"I have no doubt that we can create an environment of partnership between the two, of productivity to develop this new car which will be essential, whilst maintaining a healthy competition that will motivate them and the wider team."

Mercedes also benefits from a strong reserve driver line-up with reigning Formula E World Champion, Nyck De Vries, continuing to join his Mercedes-EQ Formula E teammate, Stoffel Vandoorne, on the team's support roster.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter