Mercedes F1 car to debut more silver livery at Spanish Grand Prix
Mercedes will update its Formula One livery for the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, introducing a brighter silver finish alongside technical upgrades for the W04.
Mercedes will unveil a revised livery for its W04 Formula One car at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, increasing the use of silver to emphasise the team's Silver Arrows heritage. The change, confirmed ahead of the 2013 European season opener, will be visible when the car takes to the Circuit de Catalunya this weekend.
The livery update is part of a wider push by Mercedes to refresh its image and motivate the team as the European leg of the championship begins. Team chairman Niki Lauda said the revised look was intended to make the car appear even more like a true Silver Arrow, with less grey and more of the classic metallic finish. The team believes that a new visual identity can help boost morale within the garage as well as reinforce the brand's historic association with silver.
Technical upgrades for the W04
Mercedes' visual update coincides with a substantial technical upgrade for the W04. For Barcelona, the car receives a new exhaust system and revised front and rear wings. The team is targeting an improvement of one to two tenths of a second per lap at each European round, seeking to build on a solid start to the 2013 season. The upgrades are part of the ongoing development war in Formula One, where teams introduce new parts as the series returns to more permanent circuits after the early flyaway races.
Although Mercedes impressed during winter testing at Barcelona, with the W04 topping timesheets on occasion, team management has played down suggestions that it enters the Spanish Grand Prix as the outright favourite. Lauda pointed to new tyre compounds from Pirelli as an unknown factor that could affect the competitive order, with teams lacking detailed information about how the updated tyres will perform in race conditions.
Motivation and branding
The decision to refresh the livery is as much about internal motivation as it is about external branding. Mercedes wants the car to stand out visually and to reconnect with the Silver Arrows identity that has defined the marque's racing history. The team hopes that the combination of technical and visual changes will help drive performance gains as the European season unfolds.
The Spanish Grand Prix marks a key point in the Formula One calendar, with most teams introducing major upgrade packages. For Mercedes, the move to a brighter silver livery and the arrival of new aerodynamic parts signal its intent to compete at the sharp end of the grid as the 2013 season enters its next phase.
