Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team’s challenger for the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the W13 F1 E Performance had the unenviable task of attempting to bring a ninth consecutive World Constructors’ title to Brackley. Piloted by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton and new teammate George Russell, making his debut for the Mercedes-AMG team in his fourth year in F1, the W13 was the product of a complete redesign from top to bottom, after the sport’s most significant technical regulation change in a generation. Only the steering wheel and power unit carried over from its predecessor. The W13 saw the return of the traditional silver livery, after the W11 and W12 were painted black in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Officially unveiled at the Silverstone Circuit with Hamilton and Russell in February 2022, the W13 encountered handling and balance issues partly due to excessive porpoising during pre-season testing. These issues hampered the team’s early efforts to optimise the car, and it ultimately proved uncompetitive in the early part of the season, though strong performances with Hamilton and Russell saw podium finishes in Bahrain and Australia respectively. Mercedes brought significant upgrades to the car in Spain, where Russell again claimed a podium. Hamilton would claim five consecutive podiums starting with three third positions in Canada, Britain and Austria. Meanwhile, Russell’s reliable performances earned him the nickname ‘Mr Consistency’, as he finished in the top five for each of the first nine races of the season, before a collision with Zhou Guanyu and Pierre Gasly ended his race before the first corner at Silverstone. In fact, Russell would only finish outside the top five on three occasions during the whole twenty-two race season. The next two rounds in France and Hungary saw Hamilton lead Russell in two successive double podiums, marking the best period for the team all season. Russell claimed his maiden career pole position in Hungary after a phenomenal drive though neither race saw a real challenge for the win. In the Dutch Grand Prix, Russell took the fight to the so far dominant Red Bull of Max Verstappen, finishing only four seconds off the leader in second, before claiming a further podium in Italy. In Texas and Mexico, it was Hamilton’s turn to battle for the win, finishing second to Verstappen in successive races, these results started closing the gap to Ferrari in the race for second position in the Constructors’ Championship.
The highlight of the W13’s season occurred in the São Paulo Grand Prix. Russell first claimed victory in the sprint race from third on the grid, before claiming his maiden career win and leading home Hamilton in a 1-2 victory on the Sunday. It was the team's first win since the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and their first 1-2 finish since the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Mercedes‘ eleven season streak of winning at least one race continued, stretching all the way back to the Chinese Grand Prix in 2012. It is currently the longest active streak in Formula One as well as the third longest in the sport’s history. Despite being a less competitive car compared to its predecessors, the W13 was mechanically reliable until Hamilton retired with a hydraulics problem three laps from the end of the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi.
Overall, the Mercedes-AMG W13 F1 E Performance earned one win, sixteen further podiums, one pole position and six fastest laps, earning 515 points in total. Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team finished third in the Constructors’ standings, whilst George Russell and Lewis Hamilton ended the season in fourth and sixth places respectively in the Drivers’ Championship.
This intricately handcrafted 1:8 scale model of the Mercedes-AMG F1 W13 E performance is based on the cars raced to a 1-2 victory by George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in the Formula 1 Heineken Grande Prêmio de São Paulo at Autódromo José Carlos Pace on the 13th of November 2022. The weekend didn’t start well for the Mercedes duo as Russell span into the gravel in final during qualifying, ensuring no other driver could improve their time with conditions deteriorating. Russell would start the final sprint race of the year from third, with Hamilton down in eighth. Russell battled with Verstappen off the line but was unable to pass initially, instead both drivers passing the Haas of Kevin Magnussen who had started on pole within a few laps. Severe tyre degradation hampered the Red Bull, however, and Russell closed in, passing on lap 15. Hamilton, meanwhile, had started well and moved up to fourth position by lap 19, where he too overtook Verstappen. Russell cruised home to take victory in the sprint race, ahead of the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz and Hamilton in third. Due to an engine penalty, the Mercedes drivers would lock out the front row for the main event on the Sunday.