FEBRUARY 16, 2012

Mercedes shakes down at Silverstone

Mercedes AMG Petronas has shaken down its new W03 F1 challenger at Silverstone ahead of its serious debut at next week's Barcelona test.

Mercedes AMG Petronas has shaken down its new W03 F1 challenger at Silverstone ahead of its serious debut at next week's Barcelona test.

The team elected to do a permitted 100km 'filming' day, with Nico Rosberg taking the wheel of the new car for 50kms in the morning and Michael Schumacher driving in the afternoon.

The permitted outings, ostensibly for commercial purposes, are conducted with cars on Pirelli demo tyres.

Although the car will not be revealed officially until next week, the shakedown was enough for it to emerge that the Mercedes, like every other new car except the McLaren MP4-27, features the stepped 'platypus-style' nose.

Mercedes strategy of taking the old car to the first Jerez test has led some to speculate that the car may have features that the team does not want the opposition to have the opportunity of copying before the first 'flyaway' races of the new season. Time will tell.