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But it wasn't enough to win a Grand Prix and winning the World Championship was never within reach. This result did not meet the expectations of the drivers or the team. After all, Mercedes had the world driver champion for seven years in a row from 2014 to 2020. In 2021, Lewis Hamilton lost to Max Verstappen in the unforgettable World Cup showdown in Abu Dhabi, but in the constructors' world championship, Mercedes was ahead of Red Bull for the eighth year in a row.
But with the comprehensive rule changes and the completely new cars in the following year 2022, Mercedes lost touch with the competition. For Lewis Hamilton, it was remarkably the first ever winless season in his Formula 1-career. The driver and crew were undoubtedly hoping for a quantum leap in 2023, but that didn't happen. Instead, Red Bull was even more clearly superior than before. The W14, with which Mercedes contested the 2023 season, is very popular with fans despite the lack of success.
On the one hand, this is due to the radical design solutions that make the look of the Mercedes stand out quite clearly from the other cars. This particularly applies to the distinctive shape of the side pods. In addition, the comeback of the color black was very well received. The Mercedes team sent them to the start for the first time during the corona-related waiting period before the start of the 2020 season, after the car had previously been presented in the typical silver. After two years in the black dress, the Mercedes became the Silver Arrow again in 2022 before the black design returned.
Now Mercedes and modelcar fans can astonish the design, color and details of the 2023 Formula 1-car in several miniature versions. Minichamps has released the W14 in scale 1:43 in some very special versions that are available exclusively from ck-modelcars.
The opening Grand Prix in Bahrain was not one of the most exciting races of the season. But George Russell was often the center of attention with great duels. The Brit dueled, among others, with surprise man Fernando Alonso, who finished third on the podium, with his teammate Lance Stroll and also with his Mercedes predecessor Valtteri Bottas. Russell ultimately finished the race in seventh place. The range includes the matching model, which impresses with details such as the white-marked, hard set of tires that George Russell drove in the last stint of the race. As a limited edition, the Mercedes is limited to 363 pieces and is delivered in high-quality high-cover collector's packaging.
Lewis Hamilton ended the Bahrain Grand Prix in fifth place. His car from the opening is available - together with George Russell's car - as a unique 2-car set. The cars arranged side by side also show off marginal details, for example the different color contrasts for the starting number, onboard camera and small aerodynamic parts. The 2-car set in scale 1:43 is limited to 111 copies.
The Mercedes team with Lewis Hamilton achieved the first of eight podium finishes at the third Grand Prix of the year in Australia. The chaotic race with three red flags was even led by the Brit at times after Max Verstappen initially lost ground when starting from pole position. Although the Dutchman regained the lead early on, Hamilton maintained second place until the finish. The model for the first podium of the season is limited to 444 cars and, in addition to the high-cover collector's packaging, also has a replica of the pit panel with the inscription “Lewis P2”.
L. Hamilton Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 #44 2nd Australien GP Formula 1 2023 1:43, RRP €99,95, item-no.: 447230144
G. Russell Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 #63 7th Bahrain GP Formula 1 2023 1:43, RRP €99,95, item-no.: 447230163
2-Car Set Hamilton #44 & Russell #63 Bahrain GP Formula 1 2023 1:43 Minichamps, RRP €199,95, item-no.: 447236344
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