Mercedes became the sixth team to formally launch its 2018 Formula 1 car, the W09, on Thursday.
Mercedes’ W chassis prefix dates back to the original W01 prototype of the 1920s, which later developed into the W02 “Typ 8” midsize sedan. The W09 name is a procession of the naming scheme used since the W01 raced in 2010, in keeping with the name scheme used on the company’s Grand Prix racing cars prior to the advent of Formula 1 as we know it today.
The team has taken both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships for the last four years running, despite Ferrari putting up a fight last season, winning Nico Rosberg one and Lewis Hamilton three world titles. Mercedes hopes to extend its winning streak with success this year, despite intensifying competition from Ferrari and Red Bull Racing that threatens to depose the Silver Arrows. McLaren also hopes to challenge Mercedes this year, though how well the team will rebound from its disastrous Honda partnership is uncertain.
W09s will be captained in the 2018 season by quadruple world champion Lewis Hamilton of Britain and three-time Grand Prix winner Valtteri Bottas of Finland. Hamilton is favored to triumph in the intra-team battle, though Bottas’ increasing comfort within the team is sure to keep him closer to Hamilton than he was in 2017.
