Williams FW33

[ESPImperium]

Its a concept for next year based on the 2011 gearbox seemingly, it wont be as beautifuly low as the 2011 gearbox, but will be simmilar to a point.

Also the 2011 box weighed more than the 2010 (LG14) spec box due to the way the suspension was layout out above the casing. Seemingly the 2012 transmission is 20% lighter, but this is unconfirmed.

Williams used 12 boxes last year, Hispania used 13 for comparison.

[NonNewtonic]

I do agree with the theory about the return of the lower gearbox as the tighter rear packaging seems to get more important as the 'coke bottle' design featured in the RB series prove to be a success to generate more DF

[Coefficient]

I think it's probably just a case of the gearbox taking up a lot of time and budget and the aero side lacking in comparison, I'd expect the gearbox to return next year along with much tighter rear packaging to allow the gearbox to be made the most of.

It would have to be an updated version surely? To use the same box is to use an out of date box. Especially when you think Red Bull will probably arrive at the first test with a gearbox the size of a baby's fist and make everyone go "what the?"

[PhillipM]

Well yes, but I'd expect it to be an evolution of the current design rather than a blank sheet...

[hardingfv32]

It also allows them another 10 days of development time, and 10 days less for the oterhs to copy their innovations.

You are assuming they have something worth copying. They could just as well be unsure of their design and want to have the option to copy themselves.

Was there really anything worth copying at the first test relative to the top teams last year? Both RB and McLaren knew what they wanted from their blown diffusers. McLaren just had implementation issues that they had to work through.

I would say most of the teams have a good handle on what they want and are not going to change designs until they spend a little time developing their choices.

Brian

[Giblet]

Looks like Coughlan and co have done a post moretem of the FW-33 and the reasons for its performance. What he says is interesting as he comes on board so late into the 2011 car.

The main reason for the teams poor performance was that they made sacrifices in vehicle dynamics chasing an aero gain that would outweigh the sacrifices made.

Problem was the aero they chased didn't work as planned.

"I don't think it's just aerodynamic, I think we made some decisions where effectively we gambled on something which would have cost us performance from a vehicle dynamics point of view, but which would have been outweighed by the aerodynamic gain," he said.

[Francesc]

To me he's clearly talking about the low gearbox.

[Giblet]

To me he's clearly talking about the low gearbox.

He addressed the gearbox indirectly in another quote about reliability, and that they have tested the full drivetrain already and it will have 6000km of testing on it before the first test.

Unless the size of it means that is has less than ideal suspension pickup points.

I can't see any disadvantage to a tiny yet reliable transmission other than that.

[Francesc]

As posted earlier that gearbox is heavier than a narrow one, also the angle of the driveshafts could mean a loss of power, and the strange suspension layout affect the rear end grip.

[aral]

As posted earlier that gearbox is heavier than a narrow one, also the angle of the driveshafts could mean a loss of power, and the strange suspension layout affect the rear end grip.

Do you have any published facts to support these comments? As the majority of weight in a gearbox is provided by the gears themelves, unless Williams are adding a few extra gears, there would be neligible difference in weight between a low box and a wide box.
And how could more angled driveshafts absorb power from the wheels?
I would be confident that the Williams team are fully conversant with the pros and cons.

[ESPImperium]

Reading what Coughlan is saying, the car hsa passed the crash tests in a non-official format, but he says that FW33-01 is ready and will be going to crash testing soon where the FIA will green light the structures if and more importantly when they pass. It sounds like the FW33 is just about to pass.

Id recon that when the FW33-01 is away getting crash tested, the FW33-02 will be handed to the race shop for getting ready for testing.

The areas for the Williams team to improve in for next year sound like Aerodynamics and relyability. However i feel they need to get the car with the installation of engine and transmission then get their relyability to a good rate, and then get performance on the car.

I for one feel that Williams havnt done enough with the front wing over the past 3 years, they are on a par with Brawn/Mercedes for thge past 3 tears, but Mercedes have now moved on.

The car last year was average, they must come out with a car that not only is quick, but ready to race from the off. They need to get the car up to the level of where FOrce India left last year at Race 1. If they dont, i think another year of doom may happen again, and the nightmare for Williams is that with the Caterham team improving, and the expected performance increase from Marussia and Hispania for their drivers to be passed by Caterham and dicing it with Marussia and Hispania for P10 in the constructors title.

If WIlliams have a year of moderate success, i think it will be good enough, if they get 20 points in the constructors table, id recon that they will be going the direction that they want, and use 2012 as the building stage it should be for them.

First they need to get a #1 driver confirmed ASAP now. Get him in the simulator and start developing the car that way, quickly. Also build the team arround him for the next 3 to 5 years. They need a driver to commit to a decently medium to long term deal to push the team, as Williams have always been at their best with a driver on a long term deal in the past. They were quick with Damon Hill on a long haul, Jacques Villneuve as well, Schumacher and Montoya were getting there in the BMW days, Rosberg was the most recent driver to be quick in a Williams to a level that id take as being acceptable, the Toyota engine was the weak-link then.

[aral]

Reading what Coughlan is saying, the car hsa passed the crash tests in a non-official format, but he says that FW33-01 is ready and will be going to crash testing soon where the FIA will green light the structures if and more importantly when they pass. It sounds like the FW33 is just about to pass.

Id recon that when the FW33-01 is away getting crash tested, the FW33-02 will be handed to the race shop for getting ready for testing.

I hope that you mean the FW34, otherwise Williams are in big trouble!

[ESPImperium]

Reading what Coughlan is saying, the car hsa passed the crash tests in a non-official format, but he says that FW33-01 is ready and will be going to crash testing soon where the FIA will green light the structures if and more importantly when they pass. It sounds like the FW33 is just about to pass.

Id recon that when the FW33-01 is away getting crash tested, the FW33-02 will be handed to the race shop for getting ready for testing.

I hope that you mean the FW34, otherwise Williams are in big trouble!

Sorry, FW34. Tiredness strikes again.

[ringo]

As posted earlier that gearbox is heavier than a narrow one, also the angle of the driveshafts could mean a loss of power, and the strange suspension layout affect the rear end grip.

The key word is vehicle dynamics.

"I don't think it's just aerodynamic, I think we made some decisions where effectively we gambled on something which would have cost us performance from a vehicle dynamics point of view, but which would have been outweighed by the aerodynamic gain," he said.

This could very well be suspension design, suspension components and their size; such as spring damper effectiveness.
We could even say straigth line aero was good, but under body movement the aero was inconsitent, or maybe out of tune with the suspension.

The gear box may not be so much an issue. Maybe it's how the suspension elements are packed in it, or maybe mass center in the vertical plane, who knows?

[axle]

He also mentions that they wasted time on working out blown floor options even though they knew they couldn't blow the floor like a Renault/Merc/Ferrari powered car could. Cosworth, through no real fault of their own (when they developed the engine they had no need), couldn't hot/cold blow like the others so Williams really wasted development time in this area when they should have optimised other parts of the car, like connecting the front and rear aerodynamic.

A totally sorted/cohesive unblown car wouldn't have been as slow as the FW33 was.

I *think* the FW34 will feature a low gearbox however I think they will optimise it for narrowness to maximise the 2012 Diffuser.

*think* = guess