Williams FW45

[AR3-GP]

People online are overreacting to this picture a bit and saying it looks like its in a different class to the RB19 and other floors. The lighting, angle and shade of carbon is making it look a lot less simple. Now that people have seen the Red Bull floor in Monaco and see the features like the more sculpted roof and several diffuser kicks, they assume that anything not looking like that is just bad. This is more of a typical Venturi floor, but it shouldn't just be assumed that because its simple it is not providing performance. Even Ferrari has a more conventional floor. In actual fact, there is not that many areas that can cause difference in the floors from a visual point of view when you break it down. There is just really the boat shape, the diffuser kick and the floor edge.

At the same time, when one team has the most downforce, you can't help but think that others are doing something wrong.

[BlueCheetah66]

People online are overreacting to this picture a bit and saying it looks like its in a different class to the RB19 and other floors. The lighting, angle and shade of carbon is making it look a lot less simple. Now that people have seen the Red Bull floor in Monaco and see the features like the more sculpted roof and several diffuser kicks, they assume that anything not looking like that is just bad. This is more of a typical Venturi floor, but it shouldn't just be assumed that because its simple it is not providing performance. Even Ferrari has a more conventional floor. In actual fact, there is not that many areas that can cause difference in the floors from a visual point of view when you break it down. There is just really the boat shape, the diffuser kick and the floor edge.

At the same time, when one team has the most downforce, you can't help but think that others are doing something wrong.

Very true, but you can't always assume where a car is losing downforce compared to other cars. Williams' car is one of the fastest in a straight-line, likely from their lack of downforce. The floor is the most efficient downforce producer on the car, so it could be fair to assume they would be more likely to be losing downforce in other areas. But of course it still could be mainly from the floor. And after looking both their floor and the SF23 more, I would argue this is just as, if not more complex that the Ferrari's floor. So if it is further behind in performance in the floor, it is not because it lacks complexity.

[AR3-GP]

People online are overreacting to this picture a bit and saying it looks like its in a different class to the RB19 and other floors. The lighting, angle and shade of carbon is making it look a lot less simple. Now that people have seen the Red Bull floor in Monaco and see the features like the more sculpted roof and several diffuser kicks, they assume that anything not looking like that is just bad. This is more of a typical Venturi floor, but it shouldn't just be assumed that because its simple it is not providing performance. Even Ferrari has a more conventional floor. In actual fact, there is not that many areas that can cause difference in the floors from a visual point of view when you break it down. There is just really the boat shape, the diffuser kick and the floor edge.

At the same time, when one team has the most downforce, you can't help but think that others are doing something wrong.

Very true, but you can't always assume where a car is losing downforce compared to other cars. Williams' car is one of the fastest in a straight-line, likely from their lack of downforce. The floor is the most efficient downforce producer on the car, so it could be fair to assume they would be more likely to be losing downforce in other areas. But of course it still could be mainly from the floor. And after looking both their floor and the SF23 more, I would argue this is just as, if not more complex that the Ferrari's floor. So if it is further behind in performance in the floor, it is not because it lacks complexity.

On second glance by, I take by my earlier statement. The Williams floor has reasonably modern features like the steps in the boat tail. When I first looked at this, the glare from the camera lense hid those features and made it look like the launch spec W13 floor.

[organic]

The lighting did them no favours.

[tomazy]

Lots of upgrades for Albons car in Canada, unfortunatly, no photos jet.

[cplchanb]

So Williams turn for their FW45B lol

[tomazy]

[organic]

Undercut profile significantly changed. less RB-like, more like post-canada AMR now

Can see there is a gulley on the inboard part of the sidepod similar to other approaches on the grid. the original outboard ridge is gone.



Some more shots of the upgrade. winglet below the mirror is new

The engine cover is extremely similar in profile to the launch spec AMR23 apart from its taller cooling louvres. Comparing this area directly to other teams it seems that Williams have work to do with packaging the gearbox/rear suspension area tighter.

[tomazy]

What Williams expects from major package and why only one is ready

Logan Sargeant should have the upgrade plus spares at the next race in Austria before another upgrade at Silverstone the week after.

It should be a decent step, we invested quite a lot in it.

More to come in Silverstone it seems, probably new front wing?

[Vanja #66]

The car is beautiful, but I'm worried about floor sealing and overall front tyre wake outwash. This amount of undercut streamlining looks way too much, but it remains to be seen.

Well, in the end they abandoned full streamlined undercut and went for a small outwash flick... Even if a small geometry change, it's not a small aero change.

Also, the change of the slides seems to promote more downwash and reduce the inwash component. Fingers crossed for some flow vis.



Hopefully they did a lot more work on the floor.

[Sevach]

Scarbs has a thread on the "new" Williams.

[tomazy]

Some nice comparison pictures of the update vs old spec from AMUS:

[tomazy]

What is new for Silverstone:



New front wing (pic from ItsRudyJ twitter)



Old one from Miami for comparison, the central section that is not adjustable is now much smaller:



And new ultra low drag rear wing (preparation for Spa and Monza). Note the new streight rear wing pillar. We saw it allready in pre season testing, but the new wing with this new pillar had to much vibrations so it was never raced or seen again till now. This one is a bit diffirent becouse of the smallnes of the rear wing.



Streight pillar from pre season testing just so that we know what I am talking about

[vorticism]

And only one connection to the DRS flap now.

[Mr Brooksy]

Interesting analysis...