New hope at Mercedes

Mercedes yesterday unveiled their new WO3 car which they hope will allow them to claw their way back to the level of the top trio, Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari, after a bitterly disappointing 2011.

The German team had to settle for fourth place in the constructors’ championship last year with drivers Nico Rosberg and Formula One great Michael Schumacher slumping to seventh and eighth.

What followed after November was a revamp of the technical team with big names Bob Bell, Aldo Costa and Geoff Willis all arriving and helping raise expectations.

“The F1 W03 is a car I believe, and hope, our team can be proud of, and which will deliver the on-track results that everybody has worked so hard to achieve, said team principal Ross Brawn.

“Notwithstanding the distinctive nose design, which is certainly an acquired taste, the car is a clear step forward over its predecessor in terms of detail design and sophistication.

“Last year we produced a very bold racing car and, although its more radical elements didn’t always deliver the results we had hoped for during the championship, the experience we gained has been invaluable to the design of the 2012 car.”

The new car has already been tested in the opening winter tests at Jerez earlier this month and will get a second run in Barcelona this week ahead of the year’s opening Grand Prix in Australia on March 18.