Williams FW38 Mercedes

[dren]

It looks like they really focused on internal air flow within the sidepods. Much different than the last two seasons.

[LookBackTime]

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/tech- ... ye-674416/

[DiogoBrand]

Meanwhile at Williams' HQ:
-Last season's car wasn't all that bad, so why not just use it again?
-Brilliant!

[continuum16]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but they are using last year's nose and front wing (at least in this picture). Interesting given Rob Smedley's comments about "developments in the front wing area" although much will change before the first race probably.
It seems as if the rear part of the car is completely different though, the sidepod inlets look very similar to Mercedes for the last two years. Also, I believe they have taken a similar direction in terms of lowering the suspension like Ferrari did between 14-15, which saw a marked increase in their tire management (one of the 37's weak points).
I suspect a solid improvement

[LookBackTime]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but they are using last year's nose and front wing (at least in this picture). Interesting given Rob Smedley's comments about "developments in the front wing area" although much will change before the first race probably.
It seems as if the rear part of the car is completely different though, the sidepod inlets look very similar to Mercedes for the last two years. Also, I believe they have taken a similar direction in terms of lowering the suspension like Ferrari did between 14-15, which saw a marked increase in their tire management (one of the 37's weak points).
I suspect a solid improvement

Williams FW38 starts testing with old stubby nose. New cleaner Mercedes-style nose planned for Melbourne. #AMuS #F1 pic.twitter.com/C4NRITxHav

— Tobias Grüner (@tgruener) February 19, 2016

[LookBackTime]

I have made a request on how the "filming day" went for FW38 today. Got this answer:

Avanade Inc. ‏@AvanadeInc 31s31 seconds ago
@LookBackTime everything went swimmingly. Have a great weekend!

[LookBackTime]

https://twitter.com/f1fanatic_co_uk/sta ... 4518654977

[ringo]

I've been preaching about their sidepods for years, finally they have ditched the bullfrog back side pods for more vertical and aggressively sloping pods. The cooling air intakes have also been modernized; moving away from the dog nostrils side pod intakes.

[LookBackTime]

https://twitter.com/f1/status/700878547653566465

[LookBackTime]

F1 Analisi Tecnica - WILLIAMS FW38: l'analisi tecnica

http://www.f1analisitecnica.com/2016/02 ... cnica.html

Google translate of important things:

...
Up front BEN FEW MODIFICATIONS, WAITING FOR THE NEW NOSE
Up front we do not see very big differences between the car in 2016, and one from last year. The muzzle has remained unchanged from the FW37 , although, in the second test session in Barcelona and Melbourne's inaugural race there will be a big update . The final face of the FW38 looks can be very similar in concept, to the one used by Mercedes last season on W06 Hybrid.

The front suspension , remained with the fencing push rod , to solve the mechanical grip problems last season, he has been revised by lowering the upper and lower wishbone. In addition to this, it seems to have been slightly reduced that annoying anti-dive suspension present on the fencing of the FW37 2015, and that according to the technicians of the English Team was useful to lower the center of gravity of the car.
..

...
Even the bellies , rather bulky on the vehicle 2015, were reduced in size and made ​​more streamers , trying to make a shrinkage especially in the rear part useful to increase the aerodynamic load generated by the vehicle body. In addition to that, the gearbox seems to have been shrunk and also (to confirm what will serve more detailed images) raised to increase the flow rate of the air flow in the upper and central part of the diffuser.



Interesting is the solution used in the initial part of the fund has been placed where a small appendix useful to improve the quality of the direct airflow towards the rear of the car.
...

...



At the rear it has entered a curved profile (see photo above) similar to that used last season by the Mercedes, useful to stabilize the airflow in a very "chaotic zone" and delicate from an aerodynamic point of view.
...

[bill shoe]

On the front suspension, I don't see the lowered wishbones referred to by multiple people. The droop/anhedral angle of the front suspension appears the same. The upper wishbones appear to be at almost exactly the same height as last year. The lower wishbones look very slightly higher than last year, thus the upper and lower wishbones may be tad closer together now. Overall, I would say the amount of side-scrub per unit of vertical travel is probably quite similar to last year's car. If anyone has a clear opinion about anti-dive from the pics so far then you're doing better than me. OK, nuff of the grumpy stuff.

The really limited nature of the pics suggest something significant going on in the back, and I'll be looking forward to the best rear-end pics over the first couple days of testing. Oh, and not to beg the obvious, but Williams still has a title sponsor!! That's a feature that most other teams are still lacking! That one feature on the Williams surely adds a few tenths right there!

[PhillipM]

I didn't say the front, I said the rear.

[LookBackTime]

https://twitter.com/williamsracing/stat ... 2900157450

[LookBackTime]

[LookBackTime]

https://twitter.com/albrodpul/status/701499313608908800