British F1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton (L) and Nico Roserg of Germany pose during the presentation of the new Mercedes W04 Formula One car at the Jerez racetrack in southern Spain February 4, 2013. Formula One teams start testing their 2013 cars in Jerez this week.

Driver feels revitalized after making move from McLaren to Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton has a new best friend, a new private jet and a new sense of purpose as he prepares for a fresh start with Mercedes.

The 2008 Formula One world champion is, as he made abundantly clear at the launch of his team's new car in Spain on Monday, happy with the way things are shaping up so far after his move from McLaren.

"I'm just happier," declared the 28-year-old after his first drive in the silver F1 W04 car on a private filming day at the sunny Jerez circuit.

"Happy I've got a new challenge, happy I've got a new start, happy it's a fresh chapter in my life, happy that I've got this massive challenge in front of me, happy because I've got this excitement where I don't know if the car's going to be good or bad," he said.

"Happy and excited because I know I can contribute and with a lot of hard work and perseverance I think we can get there. So I'm happy about that."

Hamilton has swapped a team with which he won 21 grands prix for one that has only one victory to its name since the purchase of Brawn GP in 2009 and had an unimpressive three seasons with the Briton's immediate predecessor, Michael Schumacher.

He knows he has work to do, and little time to adjust before the first race of the season in Australia on March 17, but Hamilton has already been throwing himself enthusiastically into the task in the simulator.

First impressions of the new car were positive - if largely meaningless at this stage - although the man who has spent the past three seasons teamed up with Jenson Button at McLaren also had his first complaint - too many buttons.

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