Hamilton's first take on W08: 'The car felt incredible!'

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Lewis Hamilton labeled his new Silver Arrows 'incredible' after sampling the new W08 during a brief shakedown at Silverstone before the machine's official unveil.

"It felt incredible," Hamilton enthused

"Yesterday was the first time seeing the car come together, it’s the most detailed piece of machinery I’ve seen so far in Formula One.

"The car feels almost identical to last year’s car in terms of the ergonomics. But you’ve just got this bigger, more powerful beast around you."

"It is so exciting to see this thing come together. From working in the windtunnel, then they have this jig which is into real carbon fibre, you see it all come together, do the seat fitting over the winter and in the last few days seeing it all appearing, somehow they all just slot in perfectly.

"Driving today, naturally the car feels wider, which it is, and the front tyres feel huge. There is quite a lot of grip already even in the cold conditions here.

"This is not a test, really the laps I did today were behind a vehicle to get filming in and just a shakedown. I got to go a little bit faster but it's so gusty and it is wet."

Team mate Valtteri Bottas will also have the opportunity to drive the W08 later today.

Check out images of the Mercedes W08 in our gallery.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.