Williams FW38 Mercedes Speculation Thread

[TAG]

Williams is also a supplier, and pretty committed at that since they agreed to supply transmission and suspension components along with their technical consulting to Manor as part of the Mercedes lump they'll be getting next year.

[3jawchuck]

Magneisum is stiffer and lighter.

Not in and of itself it isn't.

There is more to the stiffness of a part than the mechanical properties. You can make a magnesium gearbox stiffer and lighter than with aluminium but it will very likely be bulkier. But then again is stiffness their biggest concern. what about fracture toughness and fatigue? Magnesium alloys tend to fall behind Aluminium in those areas.

[Stalker1]

I recall someone posting in the FW37 thread earlier this year saying that this year's car has too much anti-dive in the front and making the front too stiff?

Could this be a factor in their relatively worse form compared to last year, this year?

I think it was a factor in their relatively worse form, especially considering the fact, that some tracks are smoother, some are bumpier. It also complies with the claims from Bottas and Massa that they always did not find a likeable suspension setup. If I get it right, you actually have to change the suspension connection points to alter the anti-dive properties.

http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/chassis-su ... arameters/

[PlatinumZealot]

BMW engines since the mid 2000's have been Aluminum encased in a Magnesium Alloy.... No fires..
Magneisum is stiffer and lighter.
I think Lotus used a titanium gearbox for a few years.. Titanium is heavier than Al but it is stiffer. So it all about what the skill of the designer with the different materials.

please elaborate, how is and what is an aluminium engine encased in a magnesium alloy ?? (and which model ??)

as titanium, magnesium and aluminium based alloys have essentially the same mass-specific elastic moduli
(and magnesium's mass-specific shear modulus is inferior, via its slightly unusual Poisson's ratio)
so eg how is magnesium so clearly both stiffer and lighter than aluminium ??

it's more likely to be lighter for the same strength requirement

BMW N52 engines and later were magnesium with aluminum on the inside. Lightest production six cylinder engines in the world.

[PlatinumZealot]

Magneisum is stiffer and lighter.

Not in and of itself it isn't.

There is more to the stiffness of a part than the mechanical properties. You can make a magnesium gearbox stiffer and lighter than with aluminium but it will very likely be bulkier. But then again is stiffness their biggest concern. what about fracture toughness and fatigue? Magnesium alloys tend to fall behind Aluminium in those areas.

For the same exact shape, Magnesium is lighter and stiffer.
It won't be bulkier. It will be less bulkier it is stiffer -
I think you have it flipped around. Normally less stiff materials give bulkier parts. This is the case for when Aluminum is substituted for steel or titanium.

If it is bulkier it would be for other reasons... like impact resistance, or corrosion resistance, thermal expansion, ease of machining etc.. but not for the reason above.

[FW17]

[Stalker1]

FW-38 wind tunnel model? The rear seems to be shrinked compared to FW-37.

[Raleigh]

Well, that's interesting. Ditching the cropped rear bodywork for what would be a conventional cannon style air outlet, except that it's very large compared to most...

Could William be planning to use this as the main or even only outlet, getting all that dirty air away from the diffuser?

[Bomber_Pilot]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CVSO7bfUwAE8ACj.jpg

That image is from a video that was published in 2012.

[FW17]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CVSO7bfUwAE8ACj.jpg

That image is from a video that was published in 2012.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCUQoi_RzxI

Sad that old pics are republished on twitter (not by team)

[Raleigh]

Not the FW38 then, but still intriguing. A V6 car from 2012, must have one of the early concepts for the FW36?

Interesting to see they'd settled on the double floor sidepods well over a year before the car raced, Williams were really well prepared for 2014 and it showed, here's hoping the early start on the 2016 car will serve the team as well.

[tomazy]

Not the FW38 then, but still intriguing. A V6 car from 2012, must have one of the early concepts for the FW36?

Interesting to see they'd settled on the double floor sidepods well over a year before the car raced, Williams were really well prepared for 2014 and it showed, here's hoping the early start on the 2016 car will serve the team as well.

This is not a 2012 V6 car. This is a scale model of Cosworth V8 powered FW32, to be more precise a mid seson updated version of one with blown difuser. If you look closely you will also see that it has double dacker difusser and a push rod rear suspension.

I have not found a good angle of the car from behind, but here is a car in question:

[LookBackTime]

Mercedes, Ferrari give less powerful engines to customers - Ecclestone

By Julien Billiotte, 14/01/2016 at 08:00 Formula 1


Bernie Ecclestone says the F1 engines supplied by Mercedes and Ferrari to their customer teams have “a lot less power” than the ones used by their respective works outfit.

F1’s commercial rights chief has been openly and repeatedly criticising the two manufacturers for the past few months in the light of their reluctance to endorse measures to introduce cheaper power units.

Ecclestone first warned that Mercedes and Ferrari’s grip on the sport could end up destroying it altogether before adding that he believed there was a gentleman’s agreement between the two rivals.

With eight out of the 11 teams supplied by either Mercedes or Ferrari, the 85-year-old supremo doubts any other squad can challenge the big two in 2016.

“Mercedes supply four [sic] of these power units to the smaller teams and obviously they supply them with a lot less power than they have in their own cars,” he told Canadian radio TSN. “So you’ve got rid of four teams.”

“Ferrari supply three teams in exactly the same way. Ferrari’s not as powerful, their engine, as Mercedes, but it’s getting there. Anyway they supply other teams and the teams they supply the engine’s not as good.

“So all we’ve got really and truly is Mercedes and Ferrari - I hope - racing each other.”

A staunch opponent of the current engine regulations, Ecclestone once again hit out at the 1.6-litre V6 turbocharged units by saying these are deterring new constructors from entering the sport.

“The problem we have is the power units. When Formula One was built, there was a manufacturer that made engines and everyone used it, except Ferrari. It was a level-playing field then. Now, it is not.

“So we’re in the process of doing something about it. We’ve just got to make these engines much more simple in order to have another manufacturer come in and supply people.”

Along with FIA president Jean Todt, Ecclestone was recently given a special mandate by the sport’s governing body to forge ahead with recommendations on a number of “pressing issues”, including “power units and cost reduction”. They have until January 31 to bring their proposals forward.


http://en.f1i.com/news/38761-mercedes-f ... stone.html


Comments are welcome !

[pob]

It's just the usual Bernie misdirection. If I were Mercedes or Ferrari I'd be annoyed, now that the rules allow older spec engines they could give their customers much worse spec than they currently get if they really did want to stifle the competition (once any "A" spec contracts run there course).

[LookBackTime]

Time lapse: Building Williams at the Autosport Show