The Mercedes W03 will not participate in the Jerez tests
In addition to announcing its name change for 2012 - dropping "GP" for "AMG" - Mercedes announced that its latest car will only take its first laps during the second winter testing session in Barcelona.
Present in Düsseldorf for the Race of Champions, Jenson Button warned to be wary of Mercedes for 2012: « We must watch out for Mercedes. They have been preparing for 2012 since mid-season – just like they [editor’s note: Honda/Brawn at the time] did when I became world champion. »
It seems, however, that Mercedes wants to give itself a bit more time, waiting for the second winter testing session, held on the Barcelona circuit starting February 21, 2012, to subject the W03 to the track’s verdict: « At the factory, we have been focused on 2012 for some time, with the very clear objective of making a step forward on the starting grids. As always, the winter development and manufacturing process is a compromise between the time left at the factory to find performance and the time to evaluate this performance during pre-season testing. We believe that the decision to debut our car during the second winter testing session is the optimal compromise for our development and design program of the W03 » confides Ross Brawn.
Nothing alarming, especially since other teams might also choose not to participate in the first tests at Jerez with their 2012 cars, notably Red Bull, as Helmut Marko indicated last October that Adrian Newey would have the necessary time to refine his RB8: « Of course, we want to be there from the first tests, but if he tells me there’s still half a second to gain, then I would listen to him. That’s what we did in 2009 and 2010… »
Mercedes also announced that the team would change its name in 2012 to become Mercedes AMG Petronas: “Our new name combines the proud traditions of AMG and the Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows, at the pinnacle of motorsport,” says Norbert Haug, head of Mercedes Motorsport. “These three letters [editor’s note: for Aufrecht Melcher Grossaspach] are synonymous with high technology, sporting performance, and emotion. This evolution is yet another strong sign of Mercedes-Benz’s strategic commitment to Formula One. Sixteen out of twenty-four drivers at the start of the Brazilian Grand Prix have, or have had, ties with Mercedes-Benz. In addition to our role as a team, our commitment to Formula One includes a customer engine program as well as the provision of official safety and medical cars.”
