New Mercedes breaks cover in Jerez shakedown

The new Mercedes broke cover this morning in Jerez, as Nico Rosberg shook it down ahead of the launch this afternoon and testing tomorrow.

The car, known as the F1 W04, is described as a "sophisticated evolution" of last year's model and was officially launched this afternoon with Team principal Ross Brawn promising a "step change in performance" compared to the disappointing 2012 car.

"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," said Brawn. "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 will produce a detailed technical analysis of the car with pictures later today.

One immediately noticeable logo on the side of the car is Blackberry. According to the team, "BlackBerry will collaborate with the team on technical and marketing opportunities. The new BlackBerry 10 platform will deliver tools and services for MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS and fan engagement will be improved through the joint development of apps."