The 2013 Mercedes AMG W04 has passed all 18 FIA crash tests in the run up to Christmas ahead of the new season, Auto Motor und Sport reports.
The Anglo-German outfit struggled throughout the 2012 season despite winning a race early on in the year. Their form was short-lived however, as they scored just 142 points, 318 less than Red Bull.
That has led to several management changes and the development of what is essentially an entirely new car. The German magazine reports that Mercedes have developed an entirely new gearbox which is much smaller than its predecessor, allowing for a more tightly packaged rear-end and a more efficient Coanda-effect exhaust system.
One of the teams biggest struggles were tyre temperatures. An entirely new rear-suspension package has been developed to work better with the softer Pirelli tyres.
Among many other changes, Mercedes are hopeful that they can catch the leaders – Red Bull and McLaren – which ended the season upwards of two seconds per lap quicker.
The car will debut at the first Jerez test and is only the second car to publicly pass the governing body’s crash tests following Sauber’s C32.
