Mercedes announces launch date of 2022 F1 car

The German car manufacturer, which won last year's constructors' world championship, posted on social media that its W13 will be revealed on February 18.

This is the day after rival Ferrari plans to launch its car, and comes shortly before the first pre-season F1 test in Barcelona kicks off on February 23.

The Mercedes event will be hosted digitally and take place at Silverstone, ahead of a shakedown and systems check of the new car later in the day.

As well as the car being built for the new 2022 rules, the W13 is also widely expected to see Mercedes return to the silver colour scheme that it has run throughout much of its F1 history.

While Mercedes looks set to be one of the last teams to launch, it stole a march on its rivals by firing up the new W13 at its Brackley factory before Christmas.

The team is hoping that the new car will allow it to continue a run of strong form it has enjoyed in F1 throughout the turbo hybrid era.

It has won every constructors' championship since 2014, but lost out in the drivers' battle to Red Bull rival Max Verstappen last year following a controversial finish to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The team is set to field an all-British line-up of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, with Valtteri Bottas having moved to Alfa Romeo for this season.

However, the unease about the FIA's handling of the Abu Dhabi GP that opened the door for Verstappen to snatch the drivers' crown, has prompted some doubt about whether or not Hamilton will continue.

The seven-time champion has said nothing in public since race day in Abu Dhabi, with both his team boss Toto Wolff and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem admitting that that he was disillusioned with what happened.

However, with the FIA vowing to make changes to the rules in a bid to prevent a repeat of what happened in Abu Dhabi, it is expected that Hamilton will return in his bid to grab an eighth title.

Mercedes is the fourth team to confirm its launch date, with Aston Martin, McLaren and Ferrari having also revealed their plans so far.

2022 F1 car launch dates