W12 breaks cover as F1 champions Mercedes launch 2021 car

Mercedes has revealed the first images of its 2021 Formula 1 car, the W12, ahead of the new season. 

The reigning world champions will hope the Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance propels them to further history with the German manufacturer aiming for an eighth consecutive world championship double this year.

Mercedes’ latest car will have a lot to live up to after its predecessor, the W11, won 13 of the 17 races last year as the team swept to both titles for a record-breaking seventh time.

The W12 will run the same chassis as last season in line with the significant carry-over of mechanical parts between 2020 and 2021 but features "considerable aerodynamic changes alongside improvements to areas as such as the suspension, cooling system and Power Unit".

Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas will once again drive the car to beat in F1 with Mercedes one of just three teams to field an unchanged line-up for the upcoming 2021 season.

Hamilton’s presence on the 2021 F1 grid was only officially confirmed last month when the Briton finally put pen to paper on a new one-year agreement following a long-running saga as he bids to win an eighth world championship.

The 36-year-old Briton won 11 of the 16 races he contested last year on his way to matching Michael Schumacher’s tally of seven world titles, while he also eclipsed the German’s previous all-time record for most grand prix victories.

Mercedes has elected against carrying out its usual shakedown test ahead of the new campaign, with the first lap out of the garage for the W12 falling on day one of pre-season testing in Bahrain on 12 March.

Mercedes is the fifth F1 team to launch its 2021 F1 car ahead of the new season, which begins on 28 March with the Bahrain Grand Prix.

On Tuesday afternoon, Alpine will become the next team to reveal its 2021 challenger, which will mark its first F1 car since rebranding from Renault.