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The Mercedes website (www.mercedesamgf1.com) said on
Wednesday that the reigning champions would "unveil the beast to
the world" at the British Grand Prix circuit down the road from
their Brackley factory.
Fans who register for a prize draw on Facebook will have the
chance to win VIP access to witness the first laps of the W08
challenger.
Mercedes won 19 of 21 races last season and started all but one
from pole position.
They will start the season in Australia in March as favorites
for a fourth successive title, with Britain's triple world
champion Lewis Hamilton leading the campaign in the absence of
former rival Rosberg.
The German driver stunned Formula One by announcing his
retirement five days after winning a first title in Abu Dhabi in
late November, saying he had reached the peak and achieved his
ambition.
His decision left Mercedes in a difficult position, with other
leading drivers all under contract with rivals at such a late
point in the year.
It was also an admission of just how tough a team mate Hamilton,
who won 10 grands prix to Rosberg's nine, had been to beat over
the course of a season.
Rosberg's replacement is expected to be announced imminently,
with testing starting at the end of February in Spain.
Finland's Valtteri Bottas is seen as a safe bet, as well as a
safe pair of hands, to land the seat. The motorsport.com website
has reported that the Williams driver visited the Mercedes
factory over the Christmas break.
The 2017 season will see wider tires, faster cars and revised
aerodynamics with Mercedes likely to face a tougher test from
rivals Red Bull -- who have Australian Daniel Ricciardo and
Dutch teenager Max Verstappen -- and Ferrari.
"I hope we can be as successful as we've been in 2016. It was
not always an easy ride and I don't expect it to be any easier
in 2017 but certainly one thing, it's going to be good fun
again," said team boss Toto Wolff in a New Year's message.
(Editing by Clare Fallon)
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