The outboard front suspension layout is conventional with pushrod actuated springs at the front, though the internal component layout is yet to be revealed. The ducted nose concept of the W08 is carried over from the W07 along with the overall shape of the nose and front impact structure though the front wing is of course wider and with a rearward sweep. Its exact design is yet to be revealed (most pictures online are of older 2014-2015 era power units) but it is believed to retain the split turbo concept with the compressor at the front of the engine block and the turbine at the rear with the MGU-H mounted between them. The M08 EQ Power+ is the fourth iteration of the turbo hybrid generation of Mercedes power unit and has been conceived to withstand the significantly increased physical loads and the more severe duty cycle which come as a result of the new chassis regulations. With this in mind, only 17% of the components in W08 have been carried over from its predecessor, with the team’s main focus lying on optimizing the car within the new aerodynamic regulations. With the car having to be designed before running the definitive 2017 tyres, and in some parts before the regulations had even been finalized, it was important to arrive quickly at a sound base architecture, while following a flexible, adaptable philosophy to allow scope for major developments during the season. If last year’s W07 was all about refinement and elaborate, detailed evolution, the W08 project has gone back to first principles according to the team. And the launch of the F1 W08 EQ Power+ makes the new F1 car the first Mercedes-AMG Hybrid to receive the “EQ Power+” designation, which will be used on all future Mercedes-AMG performance hybrids. From the forthcoming facelift of the S-Class, all future Mercedes-Benz Plug-In Hybrids will carry the designation “EQ Power”. EQ aims to make electric mobility simple, comfortable, safe and accessible for everybody.

Mercedes has changed the naming convention of its cars for 2017, dropping the word ‘hybrid’ in favour of ‘EQ Power+.’ The name EQ stands for “Electric Intelligence” (though surely that should be EI?) and according to the press release is derived from the Mercedes-Benz brand values of “Emotion and Intelligence”. Designed to maximize the performance opportunities offered by the new for 2017 technical regulations the W08 has specifically been designed to be versatile and have sufficient scope for an in season development rate expected to be among the fastest ever in Formula One. The 90mph winds of a storm named ‘Doris’ blew across the Silverstone circuit as the Mercedes F1 W08 made its official debut.

Mercedes f1 2017