Formula None wrote: I assume the truncated rear bodywork is meant to set up a low pressure zone directly behind it and ahead of the rear wings, to help pull more air through that area. Simply having the bodywork taper (as Red Bull do on the lower portion of there sidepods) would not be able to set up such an extreme pressure differential as what the Williams can. More drag, but that void will want to pull a lot of air around the engine cover and hence through the RW endplates. That's my guess.
Yea that’s a possible explanation.Formula None wrote:An illustration of the idea:
(Thanks zgred for posting the pic)
I think normally such a body would cause a Kármán vortex street which reduces the downforce generated by the wing. The hot air flow in the middle splits the airflow of the two sides and gives them a flow direction towards the wing. A big vortex is not build up and the drag of such a body shape gets a significant reduction. In the end they might really have found a good way to guide the air towards the wing.
Btw: Is a exhaust blown diffusor still allowed or why do all teams still place it low?
If it’s not allowed anymore to blow the diffuser then I think it would make more sense to blow the beam wing.