Mercedes were the latest team to present their new car ahead of the 2021 Formula 1 season. The W12 will be driven by the returning duo of Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas as they look to keep the likes of Max Verstappen and Red Bull at bay. RacingNews365.com has taken a closer look at the new W12 and we're here to tell you what's new about the car. Although it has no influence on the performance of the car, the refreshed colour scheme stands out. The Petronas green and red Ineos accents are more prominent and you can see that the engine cover fades from a deep black into the familiar silver grey of Mercedes. Could it be a sign of the team reverting back to grey as its base colour in 2022? We'll have to see.
As for the actual car, let's start with the front of the Mercedes W12. Little looks to have changed compared to last year's car, but we'll know for sure once Bahrain comes around. However, the turning vanes under the car which are meant to guide the air along as efficiently as possible, have been changed.
When it comes to the aerodynamically important side pods, we see that the bargeboards have been overhauled. The first vertical element is higher, and the boomerang, once developed by Red Bull and now common in Formula 1, are clearly visible again. With the Asterix wings, Mercedes are sticking to horizontal slats, something that Red Bull has also opted for this season.
Another change comes in the shape of the bodywork at the rear of the car. Given that the W12 will feature a new engine, changes had to be made to the hood of the car in order to accommodate it. There is a visible bump on the hood which doesn't look to be favourable from an aerodynamic point of view, however it should squeeze out all the extra horsepower from the power unit. The car also looks slimmer in certain areas.
Mercedes also made sure not reveal anything about their new floor. The rules have been significantly changed in that area to ensure cars generate less downforce, and the Brackley team want to keep their innovations under wraps for as long as they can. The team are hoping the new floor will play a major part in the success of the W12.
Mercedes were also vague when it comes to picture of the back end of the car. The diffuser wasn't shown, though they aren't the first team to do that. At first glance, the Mercedes rear suspension looks to have changed, though we will no doubt get more answers when testing gets underway in Bahrain.
Want more Mercedes content? Check out the video below as we discuss the W12 in more detail.
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