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What time is Mercedes 2022 F1 car launch and how can I watch it?

 (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
(POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Mercedes will launch their new F1 car for 2022, the W13, at a launch event on Friday.

The Brackley-based squad have won eight consecutive constructors’ championships and will be hoping their new challenger is the class of the field once again as Formula 1 enters a new era.

2022 sees F1 undergo a significant regulation change which has led to a completely new era of car design, meaning there is potential for the grid order to be shaken up and for backmarker teams to challenge further up the grid order. The new rules will require teams to have nailed the finer details of the transition in order to succeed.

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Earlier this week Mercedes seemed to indicate that Lewis Hamilton will indeed be turning to the grid for the 2022 season after doubts were raised about his future following the controversial circumstances in which he lost the 2021 drivers’ championship to Max Verstappen at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Meanwhile, George Russell will partner the seven-time world champion following his promotion from Williams.

Mercedes has run a black livery in the past two seasons as part of the Black Lives Matter campaign, but there has been speculation that they could return to their customary silver for the new term.

Here are all the details you need about the launch of the W13.

What time is the Mercedes 2022 F1 car launch?

Mercedes will launch the W13 at 9am GMT on Friday 18 February 2022.

How can I watch the launch event online?

The launch event will be streamed live on Mercedes’ YouTube channel and social media profiles, as well as being broadcast live on Sky Sports F1. Streams and coverage will begin at 9am in the UK, lasting until around 9:30.

What are the 2022 F1 regulation changes about?

The regulation change has been devised in order to increase the quality of racing in F1. The return of ground effect aerodynamics is designed to allow drivers to follow one another more closely and encourage more intense wheel-to-wheel racing, while a five-inch increase in the width of the Pirelli size is part of plan to allow drivers to push harder for longer.

In terms of universal visual changes, this year’s cars have small winglets covering the tops of the front tyres, the front and rear wings have been simplified, and intricate bargeboard designs have been outlawed.