In an ideal world, I would have been present for the launch of the W104. In an ideal world, I would have booked my Jerez flight for 4 February, not 4 March. So I can claim no personal insights about the brand new Mercedes, nor about the team's demeanour at the launch.

According to team principal Ross Brawn, “2013 marks the start of a second era for our Silver Arrows works team. The restructuring we undertook at the team over the past 18 months are now growing in maturity and this is reflected in the F1 W04, which is a clear step forward in design and detail sophistication over its predecessor.

“Many thousands of hours of work have been invested by our technical teams in Brackley and Brixworth to ensure that the new car delivers a step change in performance compared to last season. We are also hugely proud to welcome Lewis to the team as a works Mercedes-Benz driver. With Lewis and Nico, we have what I believe to be the strongest driver line-up in Formula One and I know that a healthy level of competition between them both will help drive the team forward."

Exactly what those changes are remains to be seen, as the team have yet to release their technical specs, but Mercedes have refined their Coanda-effect exhaust while completely reworking the front wing. The suspension layout is the same as on last year's model, and - like the majority of their opponents - Mercedes have worked hard to slim down the rear bodywork for a more aggressive back end.

Interestingly, Mercedes noted that their modesty panel gave them a slight advantage during aero testing. Hmm...

Nico Rosberg took the car out for a brief shakedown, and you can see the footage in the clip below. Lewis Hamilton will take his first turn behind the wheel tomorrow.