Formula 1

THE MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS FORMULA ONE team’s challenger for the year ahead revealed to the world’s press at the Circuito de Jerez, in Spain.

After teasing Mercedes fans on Twitter over the weekend, the covers will fully come off the 2013 Mercedes machine on the start-finish straight at the Spanish circuit at 1.30pm.

New Mercedes driver Hamilton, the 28-year-old former F1 world champion from Hertfordshire, will be joined at the car unveil by team boss Ross Brawn and teammate Nico Rosberg.

On Twitter this morning, Hamilton tweeted: “Rise & Shine!! Just got to the track in Jerez, nice & fresh. Today’s the launch & filming. Exciting times. Should be fun:)”

Stevenage-born Hamilton left Vodafone McLaren Mercedes at the end of the 2012 season for Mercedes in a multi-million pound three-year deal.

Hamilton has since visited Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart, Germany, and the Mercedes AMG Petronas factory in Brackley and the Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains plant in Brixworth.