Mercedes has completed the first laps of 2017 season with its new car, the W08, at the Silverstone circuit.
Ahead of its official launch on Thursday afternoon, Lewis Hamilton took to the circuit in his new car for some cursory laps for what will be chalked up as one of Mercedes' official filming days. Unlike the four other 2017 models unveiled so far, the W08 only features a small shark fin on the run down to the rear wing assembly.
In keeping with its philosophy from recent seasons the car features a narrow nose design different to any seen so far, which have all featured thumb-like stubs. It also has a significantly large floor to the car, while also featuring a huge S-duct outlet similar to the one featured on recent models.
Despite the sweeping regulation changes for 2017 many expect the W08 to be the benchmark again, with customer team Force India warning Mercedes has made an "unprecedented" step forward with its already-dominant V6 turbo engine.
The livery features no radical changes from its iconic silver of previous seasons, though there is slightly more lime green -- the colour of title sponsor Petronas.