Oh Mr JoeBlack, you can’t imagine how I need that, damn! With everyone learning the new tyres (which was Schumi’s archiles heel last year) everyone should now be on par.
Unlike you I don’t get scared being called wrong, atleast I got the bottle to make a call and not change my mind every grand prix like most people.
I predcited schumi to win 05, I was wrong.
I predicted alonso win in 06, he did.
I predicted Kimi to win 07, he did.
I predicted Lewis to win in 08, he did.
I predicted Massa to win in 09, I was wrong.
I predicted Vettel to win in 10, he did.
And now I predict Nico will either win or get really close, so save your ridiculous snubs for the end of the season because your guess is as good as mine.
I think Keith’s first W02 image was the first pic up on twitter and was instantly RT’ed by a bunch of people, so there was a ton of traffic. I finally had to give up and go to bed it was so slow.
I thought the same, the nose and front end … i cant think of words strong enough, and the livery is terrible, “oh well jazz it up, put some green here and there”
Quite a nice looking car. Looks like they have a pull rod rear suspension on their car as well. So 3 out of the 6 cars launched have a pull rod suspension. What about team lotus .. what are they running?
My money is on Mclaren having the best looking car, and running a push rod suspension
I do wonder if they intend to attack and slash tyres with it though, sharp as it looks. But having it go away seems an improvement to me too – although they also started without them last year, didn’t they?
The wing does seem to have hinges, it might indeed be under the wing – but there is also a panel in the middle of the main rear wing profile: they could attach something there, instead of merely adding a wing-blower device like I expect them to at some time in the season.
Yes there are panels in the middle of both wing elements but the upper wing also has two thick triangular structures at either side that seems to coincide with the D-shaped access panels behind the slots in the endplates, the actuators may be located in the sides there.
If you look at the airbox, the camera is mounted a long way back.. makes me think this isn’t the airbox/engine cover they will end up with. Could see a split box of some sort?
I love the way the livery is never quite the same from shot to shot. The silver and the green blend into one another quite nicely, and I don’t think I’ve seen two shots with an identical livery because it looks like it changes as the light hits it.
That should make it quite pretty when it gets out on the track. The more I look at this design the more I love it. It reminds me of the un-raced TF110 from last year. It looks like it’s ready to challenge for wins right out of the box!
Most cars launch with old wings and won’t put on the new ones until they hit the track. I think they don’t have the barge boards because they have such an aggressive design for their sidepods. But if you look, they have a lil’ stubby version of one.
Best looking new car by a nose, literally. Pretty can mean pretty useless but it’d be very unlikely for Ross Brawn to get it wrong twice.
Great to not be able to call the best team tho it’ll come from either Mercedes, Red Bull, Mclaren, Ferrari with dark horses in Renault and hopefully Williams.
Now this is an aggressive evolution. You can understand why red Bull didn’t do anything radical (why discard something that works) or why Ferrari have practically the same car with bits added from others’ (so they can add even more bits from others’), but Mercedes have really taken the challenge of getting back to race-winning form (in the guise of Brawn) by the horns. I agree with another comment made on the last article, they’re definitely starting to look like Mercedes now rather than butchered Brawn. I expect a race win at least from this one.
Actually, the sidepods look a lot better than on the W01, but I think the Sauber might be tighter at the back, let alone the F150, quite probably the R31, and those seem outclassed by the RB7’s tight rear. So yes, it looks a lot better, especially at the front, but also a bit in the same vein as the others, but maybe less aggressive here and there, apart from the nose.
Wow, looking at the nose – the camera mounts almost look like they are acting as another plane; is there any aero benefit to be gained from doing this?
An utterly beautiful car. All of this year’s cars, with exception of the Force India, have been stunning, but this is the best. Possibly the prettiest F1 car of the last 10 or so years. And if it’s quick, which I PRAY it is, it’ll be fastest in Rosberg’s hand. He’s another bloody good driver that never got a good car, but Schumi’s lost it, but may pick up up his first podium of his return.
What do you reckon is the prettiest F1 car of recent times?
Mr JoeBlack
1st February 2011, 8:29
Welcome Baby, hope you will be up to our expectation this season!!
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
1st February 2011, 8:54
Yup exactly my words, probably there will be more expectation on this machine then any other on the grid.
Mr JoeBlack
1st February 2011, 9:01
Man i’m dying to see Shumi winning again!!!
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
1st February 2011, 9:14
Unlike me,he came back for a reason I hope he goes out of F1 (again) by achieving it,the journey starts from today.
Mr JoeBlack
1st February 2011, 9:40
Guys, are we going to have lap times today????
Kyle
1st February 2011, 9:14
Me too, so excited to see him fight for a win if not WDC. :) Go Schumi!!!
SonJaM (@nosajm9bys)
1st February 2011, 9:20
Oh Mr JoeBlack, you can’t imagine how I need that, damn! With everyone learning the new tyres (which was Schumi’s archiles heel last year) everyone should now be on par.
Com’on on Schumi!!!!!
Pedal to the Vettel (@pedal-to-the-vettel)
1st February 2011, 9:47
lol no chance nosajm9bys, Nico is going to crush him again this year.
Dianna
1st February 2011, 16:31
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER IS BACK,speed on wheels!!!!!!!!!!
GO SCHUMI GO >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
azwris
2nd February 2011, 15:17
ha ha ha!!!
miguelF1O (@)
1st February 2011, 12:48
looks very unique and edge this is a true statement wheather it is fast or not no one knows
Icemangrins
1st February 2011, 13:02
Schumi Schumi Schumi Schumi
Grace (@grace)
1st February 2011, 16:14
If McLaren and a 2002 Sauber car got a little naughty behind the garage after dark, THIS would be the lovechild/car. :)
johnno
1st February 2011, 17:17
YUCK, awful livery!
Pedal to the Vettel (@pedal-to-the-vettel)
1st February 2011, 8:29
Come on Mercedes!
Pedal to the Vettel (@pedal-to-the-vettel)
1st February 2011, 9:16
I like the look of the connected section from the bottom of the nose to the top of the front wing very curved, like a sword.
Don’t see any other team have that style, which I guess is good.
miguelF1O (@)
1st February 2011, 12:50
what you see is that the radiators and kers area is very well shaped very aero efficient
Icemangrins
1st February 2011, 13:04
The radical air box on this machine would have been great – not sure why they removed it
SonJaM (@nosajm9bys)
1st February 2011, 9:22
Nico to win 2011? Ain’t happening, dude!
Pedal to the Vettel (@pedal-to-the-vettel)
1st February 2011, 9:27
Your a bit late mate, people been jeering at me for days now which doesn’t phase me one bit… *cries*
SonJaM (@nosajm9bys)
1st February 2011, 13:56
Ha! Sorry mate, I’ll be on the blocks next time you come up with a ridiculous “premunition”.
Pedal to the Vettel (@pedal-to-the-vettel)
1st February 2011, 15:35
Unlike you I don’t get scared being called wrong, atleast I got the bottle to make a call and not change my mind every grand prix like most people.
I predcited schumi to win 05, I was wrong.
I predicted alonso win in 06, he did.
I predicted Kimi to win 07, he did.
I predicted Lewis to win in 08, he did.
I predicted Massa to win in 09, I was wrong.
I predicted Vettel to win in 10, he did.
And now I predict Nico will either win or get really close, so save your ridiculous snubs for the end of the season because your guess is as good as mine.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
1st February 2011, 8:29
Oh, very nice! My second-favourite after the Renault.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
1st February 2011, 8:41
I think I’m going to need a photo of the R31 and the W02 side-by-side for my desktop.
Hare
1st February 2011, 8:53
…. That colour leaves me with a headache, and a desire for some minty breath fresheners..
Pedal to the Vettel (@pedal-to-the-vettel)
1st February 2011, 9:09
I had the same problem with the R31, craving for toast and marmite lol.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
1st February 2011, 9:30
Cravings? I’d say you’re pregnant. Both of you.
Pedal to the Vettel (@pedal-to-the-vettel)
1st February 2011, 13:21
It’s yours PM :p
US_Peter
1st February 2011, 8:30
Its nose is shaped a lot like the RB7 at first glance…
I like the Renault guys having a peak.
US_Peter
1st February 2011, 8:33
A bit less hammerhead shark and more platypus though after getting a better look at it.
BasCB (@bascb)
1st February 2011, 8:44
I get the impression, someone hit it on the nose and broke it. Nico Rosberg looks to be a bit unimpressed as well.
Great livery, shame they did not do this for last year, the Petronas colours look a lot better like this.
KlBD
1st February 2011, 8:31
rear pullrods, eh?
David B (@david-b)
1st February 2011, 8:41
Yes!!!
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
1st February 2011, 8:32
Oh, man, the blog is slow tonight. Feels like it’s 1995 all over again.
Lee_F1
1st February 2011, 8:40
whole internet is slow today in terms of updates on cars yesterday was like lightning maybe everyone warn out from yesterdays excitement
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
1st February 2011, 8:55
Same here hope things go smooth as time goes by.
US_Peter
1st February 2011, 17:21
I think Keith’s first W02 image was the first pic up on twitter and was instantly RT’ed by a bunch of people, so there was a ton of traffic. I finally had to give up and go to bed it was so slow.
GeeMac
1st February 2011, 8:45
That is a properly good looking car…wow! Absolutely loke it. Like the RB7 its rear end is so tightly packaged.
Also like the livery, a much better use of the Petronas Turquoise.
Adam Tate (@adam-tate)
1st February 2011, 8:45
Whew, and I thought it was just my old computer, or my connection. But I must say, the W02 is an aggressive design. I like it!
nicko
1st February 2011, 8:46
the front looks thin, delicate :)
the-muffin-man
1st February 2011, 8:47
Pass the bucket please . . . oops too late!!!!
JustAnF1Fanatic (@justanf1fanatic)
1st February 2011, 9:04
i thought the same, the front end looks… cant even think of words….the livery is not very pretty either(understatement) IMO
JustAnF1Fanatic (@justanf1fanatic)
1st February 2011, 9:09
I thought the same, the nose and front end … i cant think of words strong enough, and the livery is terrible, “oh well jazz it up, put some green here and there”
JustAnF1Fanatic (@justanf1fanatic)
1st February 2011, 9:10
sorry it appeared not to have left the comment the first time lol
paxter
1st February 2011, 10:46
well they cant run away with the turquoise color as its the company colors of petronas their main sponsor.
verstappen
1st February 2011, 8:47
That is certainly an improvement in the livery!
Btw… Are the photo’s placed in the same sequence as they’re made?
“This is nothing Nico, just cover her up again and walk silently away”
Todfod (@todfod)
1st February 2011, 8:49
Quite a nice looking car. Looks like they have a pull rod rear suspension on their car as well. So 3 out of the 6 cars launched have a pull rod suspension. What about team lotus .. what are they running?
My money is on Mclaren having the best looking car, and running a push rod suspension
BasCB (@bascb)
1st February 2011, 9:06
I am sure team lotus have stated they will have a pull rod suspension in the rear as well.
GeeMac
1st February 2011, 9:13
They have, and its pull rod.
James Bolton
1st February 2011, 8:49
The nose looks very aggressive. The wing mountings are very similar to the Sauber design from last season.
Hare
1st February 2011, 8:55
I can’t stand silver. I just about tolerate it on the McLaren. This, for me, is putrid. Opinion.
Icemangrins
1st February 2011, 13:09
I guess they go by their traditional silver arrow theme. Merecdes always had a silver paint scheme. Can’t beat their tradition, eh?
Ben N
1st February 2011, 8:58
Both the car and the livery look spectacular! The turqoise is much better on this car – and the car itself just looks more aggressive…
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
1st February 2011, 9:18
Yeah, I remember the firt thing I thought when I saw the W01 unveiled: “combine harvester”, largely because of the bulky front end.
Hare
1st February 2011, 9:19
An aggressive platypus…
Mike
1st February 2011, 13:31
Yeah I agree, It looks great, they really have got a great livery, and the car looks fantastic as well.
DeadManWoking
1st February 2011, 9:01
The sidepod vanes are very short and there’s no obvious MRW actuator, unless it’s located under the upper wing.
BasCB (@bascb)
1st February 2011, 9:23
I like the way these vanes dissepeared. Lets hope the rest of the teams do away with them as well.
bosyber
1st February 2011, 10:18
I do wonder if they intend to attack and slash tyres with it though, sharp as it looks. But having it go away seems an improvement to me too – although they also started without them last year, didn’t they?
bosyber
1st February 2011, 10:16
The wing does seem to have hinges, it might indeed be under the wing – but there is also a panel in the middle of the main rear wing profile: they could attach something there, instead of merely adding a wing-blower device like I expect them to at some time in the season.
DeadManWoking
1st February 2011, 10:32
Yes there are panels in the middle of both wing elements but the upper wing also has two thick triangular structures at either side that seems to coincide with the D-shaped access panels behind the slots in the endplates, the actuators may be located in the sides there.
danielbts
1st February 2011, 9:06
If you look at the airbox, the camera is mounted a long way back.. makes me think this isn’t the airbox/engine cover they will end up with. Could see a split box of some sort?
OEL
1st February 2011, 9:08
You beat me to it!
OEL
1st February 2011, 9:07
Yuck! Have you noticed how far back the camera mount sits?
Meander
1st February 2011, 9:12
Hey, is it me or do they seem to have a different adjustable rear wing system?
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
1st February 2011, 9:15
I love the way the livery is never quite the same from shot to shot. The silver and the green blend into one another quite nicely, and I don’t think I’ve seen two shots with an identical livery because it looks like it changes as the light hits it.
Adam Tate (@adam-tate)
1st February 2011, 9:18
That should make it quite pretty when it gets out on the track. The more I look at this design the more I love it. It reminds me of the un-raced TF110 from last year. It looks like it’s ready to challenge for wins right out of the box!
Todfod (@todfod)
1st February 2011, 9:23
Whos is the dude with the ridiculous moustache?
Todfod (@todfod)
1st February 2011, 9:24
Oops.. commented on the wrong page.
Calum
1st February 2011, 9:24
Beautiful! Brushed silver and mint looks superb! The nose looks highly aggressive, this car is the best so far.
(note, yet to look at the Williams, RBR and STR launches)
MGP W01
1st February 2011, 9:24
Why does it have last years front wing and no barge/side mirror boards like every other car. Also i think the colour schemes worse. GRRR, letdown!
Adam Tate (@adam-tate)
1st February 2011, 9:35
Most cars launch with old wings and won’t put on the new ones until they hit the track. I think they don’t have the barge boards because they have such an aggressive design for their sidepods. But if you look, they have a lil’ stubby version of one.
Calum
1st February 2011, 17:02
Haha, your name is so last year. W02 is where it’s at these days! ;)
antonyob
1st February 2011, 9:30
Best looking new car by a nose, literally. Pretty can mean pretty useless but it’d be very unlikely for Ross Brawn to get it wrong twice.
Great to not be able to call the best team tho it’ll come from either Mercedes, Red Bull, Mclaren, Ferrari with dark horses in Renault and hopefully Williams.
BasCB (@bascb)
1st February 2011, 9:44
here’s to hoping. I would love Mercedes to make it another 2 drivers into the WDC fight.
antonyob
1st February 2011, 9:32
i love it being all so low key as well. much more like a racing team and less like an episode of x factor!
chaostheory
1st February 2011, 9:39
Interesting to see this Lotus-Renault guy “inspecting” the rear of the car on the first picture :)
Icthyes (@icthyes)
1st February 2011, 9:42
Now this is an aggressive evolution. You can understand why red Bull didn’t do anything radical (why discard something that works) or why Ferrari have practically the same car with bits added from others’ (so they can add even more bits from others’), but Mercedes have really taken the challenge of getting back to race-winning form (in the guise of Brawn) by the horns. I agree with another comment made on the last article, they’re definitely starting to look like Mercedes now rather than butchered Brawn. I expect a race win at least from this one.
bosyber
1st February 2011, 10:23
Actually, the sidepods look a lot better than on the W01, but I think the Sauber might be tighter at the back, let alone the F150, quite probably the R31, and those seem outclassed by the RB7’s tight rear. So yes, it looks a lot better, especially at the front, but also a bit in the same vein as the others, but maybe less aggressive here and there, apart from the nose.
electrolite (@electrolite)
1st February 2011, 10:32
Absolutely! I couldn’t believe it when I saw these pictures, it’s certainly going to stand out. It’s even better than the rendering looked like.
Just look at the nose…the sidepods, everything! And the livery is certainly the best so far.
DeadManWoking
1st February 2011, 10:39
Yes “die Silberpfeile” are really back now but Mercedes seem to have copied the gill-slits from the wrong one! 8))
http://adamcooperf1.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/img_0090.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/2855232508_2c0d37cbfb.jpg
Pedal to the Vettel (@pedal-to-the-vettel)
1st February 2011, 12:48
Yer I love the new design, it has that unique Mercedes identity to it now unlike the “Brawnedes” last year.
Hopefully both drivers can get up and go from the start with Nico getting the world title *fingers crossed*
McG (@mcg)
1st February 2011, 10:24
Stunning.
Calum
1st February 2011, 17:03
COTD!
box this lap (@sebashuis)
1st February 2011, 10:50
such a BEAUTY!
Faraz (@faraz)
1st February 2011, 11:46
I love it just looking at it it looks like a winner might just become a Mercedes fan :L
Gaston (@golarrazabal)
1st February 2011, 12:08
Best looking car on the grid.
explosiveface (@explosiveface)
1st February 2011, 12:21
Words cannot express how much better this looks compared to the W01.
airbrck
1st February 2011, 13:03
Um.. it looks like a duck. I don’t like ducks. Hope Renault will eat this duck (with some apples).
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
1st February 2011, 13:18
Fantastic looking car!
Really hope it does much better this season for them. Will be great to see either of them on the podium.
Phil
1st February 2011, 13:45
Wow, looking at the nose – the camera mounts almost look like they are acting as another plane; is there any aero benefit to be gained from doing this?
antonyob
1st February 2011, 13:56
remember when these current rules cars were the ugliest ever? how times change eh!
Calum
1st February 2011, 17:05
We are now used to the rear wings I guess, the ‘new’ front wings are sill too wide though!
Fixy (@)
1st February 2011, 14:32
Where did they put the on board camera?!?
shuntaro27
1st February 2011, 14:36
I don’t know why they don’t use shark fin. All the other teams use shark fin.
Pika
1st February 2011, 15:04
Wow, best looking car until now for me.
Catalina (@catalina)
1st February 2011, 15:44
Just. Like. The. Toyota :D
The livery its brilliant though
KTID
1st February 2011, 19:56
IT LOOKS COOL
LEWIS42011
24th February 2011, 10:20
An utterly beautiful car. All of this year’s cars, with exception of the Force India, have been stunning, but this is the best. Possibly the prettiest F1 car of the last 10 or so years. And if it’s quick, which I PRAY it is, it’ll be fastest in Rosberg’s hand. He’s another bloody good driver that never got a good car, but Schumi’s lost it, but may pick up up his first podium of his return.
What do you reckon is the prettiest F1 car of recent times?
sid_prasher (@)
7th February 2012, 17:53
That’s a pretty car, just hope it is fast. Not too bothered by the livery.