Williams FW35 Renault

[RB7ate9]

Love the view. Very fluid.

Does anyone know the reasoning behind the "fangs" on the rear of the engine cover? Perhaps bodywork to fair in a DRD periscope?

[Hail22]

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns24844.html

FIA says the Williams exhaust "Is not legal"

I really liked Williams exhaust as well :/

[Sevach]

Can anyone explain how the 'blown wheelnut' works? Does it extract and vent hot air from the brakes, routing the air outside of the wheel, vs inside it?

I believe they are trying to channel the air through the wheel nut so they get a better flow on the outside of the wheel.

It's basically what those wheel covers used to do a few years back.

[Carbon]

Ah.....thanks folks.

So not much to do with brake cooling per se, but more to do with aero benefits.

Cheers.

[Forza]

The "blown wheel" nut improves the airflow inside the front wheel and wake behind the front tyre although the extra cooling for hub and bearings don't hurt either.

F1 Test - Barcelona - day 3

[Sevach]

Is there something wrong with their launch nose/FW?
They are going back and forth a lot...

Anyway, the car seems to have good tyre usage, contrary to what other teams have been saying their race sim is proving consistent so far.

[stefan_]

Barcelona Session 1 - Day 2 (20.02.2013)

Rear floor detail.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9eRYO_KJdE[/youtube]

Scarbs on the FW35
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F0ghECsydQ[/youtube]

[Matt Somers]

[roadie]

Lovely Matt. So that is just a hollow axle with a thread locking on the outside?

[Rikhart]

I bet that will cause some problems in pitstops, it looks much harder to fit the gun into, than regular wheel nuts.

[seinfeld]

I bet that will cause some problems in pitstops, it looks much harder to fit the gun into, than regular wheel nuts.

it wont make any difference to the wheel gun. the nut is still the same

[seinfeld]

This exhaust looks great. So I am guessing this is "out of the spirit" of the rules because they only have like a 2mm gap thus making it "not really enclosed" haha its genius. Christian Horner said it last year "there is no spirit of the regulations. it either complies or it doesnt" And this complies IMO. I dont see why they can't do this. don't let them put the exhaust exit at the bottom of the car like 2 years ago. make them keep it in traditional spot. and let them channel the gas. it's not that hard or costly to do it.

And Williams did something very cool, in case it did get banned its held together by titanium bolt and screws. they can just take it off and re fit something "more spirited" haha

[Skett]

I've noticed all the photos I've seen of the williams today are with the old nose, maybe they're having problems with their new one?

[seinfeld]

Can anyone explain how the 'blown wheelnut' works? Does it extract and vent hot air from the brakes, routing the air outside of the wheel, vs inside it?

I believe they are trying to channel the air through the wheel nut so they get a better flow on the outside of the wheel.

It's basically what those wheel covers used to do a few years back.

isnt it blowing the tyre? as behind the tyre creates a low pressure area (more drag) so by blowing it. it removes the drag right?

[ringo]

It can't "blow" the tyre if it's blowing from the side. whatever blowing is supposed to mean.
I think it does something, but whatever it's doing it's not a doing a very good job of it. I feel it has a some quantifiable gains, and it's just there because a gain is a gain.

The question is though, if air is passing through the axle, then what happens to the air that is supposed to cool the brakes?
What if this design is sucking air instead of pushing air?

If it is pushing out air, then you may expect it's doing something to reduce tyre drag yes, but it may not do it for the whole wheel. Maybe a little area a foot or two behind the wheel.

I can guess it goes out sideways with a spin on it, combines with oncoming air, which may create some kind of resultant spin that curls the flow behind the tyre?
Judging that this is a 3 inch hole and the tyre is over 600mm tall, it's not going to be doing any life changing drag reduction.

If this is blowing, then maybe it is doing that. As for blowing to increase donwforce, i don't think so.