By Carlo Platella
There presentation of the 2024 season Williams did not go beyond displaying the livery, postponing the first public appearance of the car to the tests in Bahrain at the end of the month. Even without the presence of the FW46, however, the team members provided some previews of the new single-seater. The most important change concerns the character appearance of the carwhile the team keeps the choice for the rear suspension under wraps.
Recurring problems
Commenting on the FW46, Alex Albon explained how Grove has started from a different philosophy compared to the past: “We have cslightly changed the philosophy of the machineso I'm curious to see if we can improve some of the characteristics we historically had”. To understand the words of the Anglo-Thai driver, it is appropriate to return to the statements released by him a few months ago, on the occasion of the last Dutch Grand Prix: “We have some characteristic problems in our car for a few years now, before I even joined the team. It's something that comes up repeatedly when we talk about the car, because the limitations are the same.”
For years Williams has been limited by gods character defects of their cars, which manifested themselves even before the regulatory revolution of 2022. The reason is therefore not to be found in the physics of the ground effect, but rather in the decision-making process underlying the car and which conditions its behaviour, where the 'concept' really lies of a single-seater. Previous simulation and analysis methods led engineers to choose limiting design objectives from a driving style point of view, in terms of more or less sharp trajectories, aggressive steering, passage over curbs, balance, predictability and stability. In 2023, Williams therefore decided to interrupt the development of the FW45 early, in order to lay new foundations for the 2024 project, which would actually appear to rest on a better basis.
New driving style
Neither driver has yet had the opportunity to drive the FW46, but in reporting their impressions from the simulator both describe it as a more benign car. “Surely driving style will need a changebut we have already started on the simulator and the car is more pleasant to drive”, Sargeant's comment, which is echoed by Albon's: “We can't know until we hit the track in Bahrain, but in general it seems to be the case a better car to drive”.
The Thai's thought encompasses the uncertainty that all Formula 1 teams have in common, aware of the impossibility of simulating every aspect in a virtual environment, especially with regards to driving impressions. Jock Clear's words from last July come to mind, when he commented on similar issues that Ferrari was interested in: “The simulator doesn't tell you exactly what level of confidence the driver will have in the car.” Even more than the level of load and aerodynamic efficiency, therefore, for Williams it will be a priority to ensure that the new driving sensations are consistent with those much sought after during the genesis of the FW46.
Suspension pending
Williams 2024 was born with a slightly different philosophy than in the past, but its shapes will not necessarily be distorted compared to its progenitors. More than for the bellies of the FW46, the general curiosity is for the suspension scheme chosen at the rear. In disseminating the technical specifications of the new car, in fact, the team reports one push-rod scheme at the frontconfirming the 2023 choice, but not publishing anything regarding the rear axle.
Thus, the hypothesis still stands that Williams may have switched from a pull-rod to a push-rod at the rear, to better match the aerodynamics of the flat sides, along the lines of what Red Bull has already done. Finally, in the video presenting the season, we can glimpse a steering wheel with an integrated screen, unlike the latest cars which had the dash fixed on the cockpit, another detail which, if confirmed, would underline Williams' break with its recent past.
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