F1, technical analysis Williams FW46: character revolution | FP

By Carlo Platella
Williams is one of the teams around which there is the highest curiosity for 2024. The historic British team made excellent progress in the first half of 2023, only to then interrupt development early and divert all resources to the new project. The FW46, in fact, marks a breaking point with the past. Although similar in terms of belly and suspension to the cars that preceded it, the new Williams was created with the declared intent of solving the character problems suffered even with the old regulations.

The objectives

Last August Alex Albon explained how Grove's latest cars repeatedly presented similar problems: “We have some characteristic problems in our car for a few years now, before I even joined the team. When we talk about the car, it's something that comes up repeatedly, because the limitations are the same.” We talk about aerodynamic characteristics, balance and driving requirements reported even before the regulatory revolution of 2022, when the reference driver was George Russell, with whom Albon regularly converses. Being able to make the 2024 car work differently required a lot of work, thus having to interrupt the promising development of the 2023 single-seater, also to improve the simulator models.

The first findings seem to confirm the achievement of the objectives in Grove. “The driving style will certainly need a change, but we have already started on the simulator and The car is more pleasant to drive”Sargeant's comment on the occasion of the presentation. The character aspect, however, is not the only novelty of the FW46. The latest Williams cars have all been characterized by a lack of load and in general by an aerodynamic map optimized to perform at their best in an unloaded configuration. It is no coincidence that the best performances often came in Canada, at Monza or at Silverstone, but the qualities on the straight were priced out with difficulties on the more ridden tracks. The 2024 Williams therefore aims to reduce the gap from its opponents with the high-load guise, optimizing the aerodynamic map in the various configurations.

Chassis

The FW46 was created around a new chassis, the innovations of which already stand out from the front. Just like Alpine, Williams also decided to design a wider and stubbier muzzleor in the tip, strengthening it to allow it to be crushed in the rearmost part. The front impact structure (1) is in fact thinned in the section connecting it to the chassis, for better channeling of air under the car and to facilitate the control of turbulence generated by the wheels.

Looking back, the front part of the body reveals the strong anti-pitch kinematics of the suspension introduced on the FW46 (2). It is interesting to note how the upper part of the chassis straightens more, whereas on the 2023 car the ramp continued to rise (3). Still in the frame sector, it is also appreciable from the outside the reduction of the dynamic air intake located on the rider's head (4).

Suspensions

The front suspension system confirms the push-rod scheme, with the rod that implements the spring-shock absorber group in the upper part of the frame. For the rest however, the suspension has been completely redesigned compared to the FW45. The box and steering arm are now aligned with the lower triangle (5), whereas previously they were placed at the height of the upper element, thus also contributing to lowering, albeit slightly, the center of gravity of the single-seater. Furthermore, the front and rear arms of the upper triangle are more staggered in height compared to 2023 (6). Williams also therefore adopts anti-pitch kinematics to stabilize the height and posture of the bottom during braking, approaching the levels of the world champion Red Bull.

The big surprise however concerns the rear suspension. Despite the flat-bottomed bodywork, Williams chooses not to fit the new push-rod suspension from supplier Mercedes, which was instead adopted by the other customer Aston Martin. The Grove team remains faithful to the previous specification, still based on a pull-rod scheme, aerodynamically less effective, but favorable from the point of view of mechanical behaviour. Ferrari and customer Haas will therefore not be the only cars on the grid with the rear suspension, as initially thought.

Front wing

The wing is the first component to be hit by the air, structuring the flows that hit the rest of the car. The changes made to the wing of the FW46 therefore tell the story of a general rethinking of the aerodynamic structure of the car and constitute the emblem of the revolution brought about in Grove. What stands out is the new tip of the nose which, in addition to being wider, now stops on the penultimate element of the wing (7), thus opening a vent for air under the single-seater.

The main profile presents a different trend, rising in the central portion. Furthermore, the distribution between the fixed and adjustable sections changes drastically of the upper flaps (8), widening the mobile portion as done by most of the competition. Williams thus centralizes the metallic structure separating the two sections, repositioning the small vortex that is generated at its end. Finally, we note the different trend of the upper profiles (9), indicative of a different sorting of the flows between the internal and external portions of the front wheels.

Bottom

The underbody is the heart of the revolution at Williams, the real area where in the ground effect era the teams go to make the difference. The entrance section of Venturi channels highlights a different distribution of distances between the flow conveyors, with a widening of the second channel from the center (10), a sign of an important change in the flow field under the single-seater.

The design of the outermost flow diverter is also different, which has the task of protecting the air channeled under the Venturi from turbulence coming from the wheel. As in the past, the bulkhead remains high and long, but with the addition of the recess along the lower contour (11) seen on several rival cars.

The bottom edge is perhaps the area most indicative of the progress made by Grove's engineering department. In 2023, in fact, Williams presented the simplest geometries, in an area crucial for performance, which influences both the lateral extraction of air from the bottom and the protection of the underbody from external turbulence. The FW46 shows off a noticeably more elaborate border (12), which follows the Red Bull school approach, with the double cascade of front flaps, the central rise and the rear knife-edge profile.

Car body

The bodywork in the upper part of the car has also changed, designed to interact aerodynamically with the bottom. The side radiator vents they are higher and flatter than in 2023 (13), according to an increasingly widespread trend on the grid. Furthermore, the lower lip of the air intakes now extends forward with respect to the upper contour, favoring the channeling of air under the side and the pressurization of the environment on the sides of the passenger compartment.

Overall, the bodywork of the FW46 maintains the belly-beating approach, conveying the flows adhering to the surfaces in the lower part of the rear axle. From the side it is possible to appreciate both the work done to excavate the lower perimeter of the side and the raising of the leading edge (14), thanks precisely to the thinning of the lateral air intakes. All this encourages the channeling of flows along the upper part of the bottom, helping to transport energy into the diffuser's environment, facilitating the work of extracting air from the bottom.

The aerial view confirms the presence of the slides dug along the upper part of the sides. Compared to 2023, however, the ramp appears wider and above all begins in a more rearward position (15), sloping more. It's about an evolution also shown by Aston Martin and which could anticipate a next trend on the grid. Finally, the bonnet maintains the downward curve at the rear (16), attracting and accelerating the flows near the rear wing.

An ambitious project

Overall, Williams presents itself at the starting line in 2024 with a car profoundly renewed in the chassis, front suspension, floor and overall aerodynamic structure. If, as it seems, the FW46 is finally free from the character flaws of recent years, the British team will have a solid platform on which to base its development for the next two seasons. The final goal remains return to the top with the next regulatory cyclebut to achieve this it was essential to immediately consolidate the vision and design approach of the technical department.