Williams FW38 Mercedes Speculation Thread

[dren]

Significantly different looking is only relative, especially when talking about F1 cars year to year. We may see a Red Bull clone or we may see a similar car with a couple wing elements with different curves to them.

[Raleigh]

The biggest visual change I'm expecting is a switch from Wiliams' unusual cropped/open rear bodywork to air outlets more like Mercedes/etc are running. The open rear bodywork is lower drag, but it's also dumping dirty air over the diffuser so that has to be costing downforce.

Probably an extra element in the front wing, Williams has over the last few years been running one less element than Mercedes or RB.

Regulations for the cars nose haven't changed to the first time in several years, so we may get something similar to last year, then again Williams might decide to go for Mercedes style nose + front wing.

The double-floor sidepods are likely to stay, Williams seems to have got the cooling arrangements down and they give good airflow across the floor (which might be why the rear bodywork hasn't been costing them too badly.

Overall, yeah, not going to be a wildly different looking car but there will be plenty of details for us technical enthusiasts to get excited about.

[F1NAC]

https://twitter.com/WilliamsRacing/stat ... 6357344258

[Gridlock]

I wonder if "great to hear the roar again" is a hint. Fingers crossed moving the wastegate exit* really does bring the volume up as much as it needs to.

*My favourite German word: Auspuff

[dren]

I wonder if "great to hear the roar again" is a hint. Fingers crossed moving the wastegate exit* really does bring the volume up as much as it needs to.

*My favourite German word: Auspuff

Don't get your hopes up.

[Gridlock]

Don't get your hopes up.

What else is an F1 fan to do in the first 6 weeks of the year?

[Stalker1]

The biggest visual change I'm expecting is a switch from Wiliams' unusual cropped/open rear bodywork to air outlets more like Mercedes/etc are running. The open rear bodywork is lower drag, but it's also dumping dirty air over the diffuser so that has to be costing downforce.

Probably an extra element in the front wing, Williams has over the last few years been running one less element than Mercedes or RB.

Interesting thoughts, atleast for me. You mean, by using the outlets, the air flow that is raised by the front wing, is directly passed over the side and then as a result of the pressure difference, over the diffuser, deflecting the dirty air flow form the sides of the car? I mean, the air pressure in the back of the car is lower than in the front or the sides of the car, so not only the air passing over the front is draged toward the difusser, but also from the sides etc.
Just explaining my thoughts!

I do not get the idea of extra element in the front wing? Better airflow over the sidepodes?

[Raleigh]

The biggest visual change I'm expecting is a switch from Wiliams' unusual cropped/open rear bodywork to air outlets more like Mercedes/etc are running. The open rear bodywork is lower drag, but it's also dumping dirty air over the diffuser so that has to be costing downforce.

Probably an extra element in the front wing, Williams has over the last few years been running one less element than Mercedes or RB.

Interesting thoughts, atleast for me. You mean, by using the outlets, the air flow that is raised by the front wing, is directly passed over the side and then as a result of the pressure difference, over the diffuser, deflecting the dirty air flow form the sides of the car? I mean, the air pressure in the back of the car is lower than in the front or the sides of the car, so not only the air passing over the front is draged toward the difusser, but also from the sides etc.
Just explaining my thoughts!

I do not get the idea of extra element in the front wing? Better airflow over the sidepodes?

More front wing elements offer more control over airflow, and thus higher potential downforce. However extra elements come at the penalty of higher drag, with Williams focusing on a low-drag approach over the last two years this is why they have been running 1 less front wing element than Mercedes/RB.

This is not strictly related to airflow over the rest of the bodywork, simply Williams wants more downforce now even at the expense of drag.

As for the rear bodywork, by dirty air I'm talking about air from the cooling outlets at the back of the car. Air that's been through the radiators/ductwork etc, this air is slow moving, turbulent and hotter than surrounding airflow. Most teams choose to vent dirty air through outlets around the exhaust, or inline with the rear suspension. These outlets keep dirty air away from the diffuser, allowing the diffuser to operate more efficiently and generate more downforce, but they also create a larger area low pressure air behind the car which causes drag.

Williams has been using a different approach, the rear bodywork is tightly wrapped around the mechanical components with a thin gap all the way round for venting dirty air. This blends dirty and clean air very well, so you have less drag, but at the same time some dirty air is passing over the diffuser reducing it's efficiency and the downforce generated.

[continuum16]

Would not be surprised to see:
Brand-new front wing design (current is more or less same as one from 2014, barring change in Hungary)
"Conventional" rear-end (although I suspect it will follow what they had in China this year when it was closed)
Lowered suspension mounting points (like Ferrari did in 2015)

Would be surprised to see:
New nose
Radically different side pods
Different rear wing
"Batwing"

[tomazy]

First pic of the new car



Massas instagram

[stefan_]

Nope, that's the sim.

[LookBackTime]

Williams ‘shake down’ 2016 F1 cars at Silverstone on Friday

Formula 1, 2016-style, will burst into action this week. MTV, a Finnish broadcaster, reports that reigning champions Mercedes and also Williams will ‘shake down’ their new cars at Silverstone on Friday.

The teams, taking advantage of the 100km testing allowance for so-called ‘filming days’, will then move on to Barcelona for the start of official winter testing after the weekend.

And on the day before the official running at the Circuit de Catalunya begins on February 22, Ferrari will debut its 2016 machine on the Sunday.

AS, a Spanish sports daily, said Ferrari’s exclusive booking of the Barcelona track on February 21 thwarted plans made by McLaren-Honda.

The newspaper said McLaren originally intended to ‘launch’ its new MP4-31 in the Barcelona pitlane, but will now simply reveal it online on the same day.

The first running, however, will take place in the UK on Friday, and Williams’ Valtteri Bottas said he is looking forward to sampling the new FW38.

“Everything seems positive so far,” he told Finland’s Ilta Sanomat newspaper. “However at the moment everything is just in theory. We will need to see how the new car feels in practice.”

Bottas said he is itching to return after a long winter break.

“Yes, shortly after Christmas I was already starting to think about it (driving) again,” he said. “So it will be cool to get going finally.”

[Gridlock]

AS, a Spanish sports daily, said Ferrari’s exclusive booking of the Barcelona track on February 21 thwarted plans made by McLaren-Honda.

The newspaper said McLaren originally intended to ‘launch’ its new MP4-31 in the Barcelona pitlane, but will now simply reveal it online on the same day.

The first running, however, will take place in the UK on Friday, and Williams’ Valtteri Bottas said he is looking forward to sampling the new FW38.

I'm confused, a translation error presumably, but I don't imagine Williams & Mercedes & McLaren are all going to be at Silverstone Friday. I'd be very surprised if there were two teams there, although I suppose they could use separate pit complexes?

Scarbs, yesterday;

[adrianjordan]

Scarbs, yesterday;

http://www.biggamehunt.net/graphics/pho ... _suit1.jpg

Nah....that's Chewbacca after Han Solo's stag do..!!

[LookBackTime]

https://twitter.com/williamsracing/stat ... 0257381376