By Carlo Platella
2023 goes down as Williams' best season in the last six years. The Grove team finishes the championship in seventh place among the constructors with 28 points, a clear improvement compared to the 8 points and last place of the previous year. The impression, however, is that the result at the end of the year could have been even better. Williams, in fact, decides to interrupt development at the most beautiful point, just when the FW45 had reached the potential to continuously fight for the points zone. The setback is not the result of a lack of ideas or resources, but rather a conscious choice to intervene on chronic problems without further delay.
The FW45
At Williams the start of the championship is encouraging, thanks to a car for which the points zone is no longer a mirage. The FW45 was born as an evolution of the 2022 project, from which it differs due to specific modifications. The front suspension evolves, seeking a better compromise between mechanical stabilization and the impact on external flows. At the rear, however, Williams continues to produce the suspension at home despite purchasing the transmission from Mercedes, from which Aston Martin, however, also inherits the suspension unit. Although the team is freer from the constraints of Mercedes, Grove still decides to continue with the pull-rod scheme, unlike other teams who couple the slide bellies with a push-rod suspension, to reduce the aerodynamic blockage to the flows in the lower part.
Own in the bellies other important renovations are concentrated in the 2023 project. The lower protection structure of the passenger compartment is lowered and integrated directly into the bottom, thus allowing the side to be flared deeper, favoring the channeling of flows and the transport of energy towards the environment rear. The aerodynamic department then benefits from the work of optimizing the cooling of the power unit. The downsizing of the internal radiators, in fact, allows you to remodel the external bodywork with more freedom. In general, Williams is among those teams that are already fully aware at the beginning of 2023 of the potential of the aerodynamic interaction between the bottom and the sides, on which, not surprisingly, development is focused during the season.
Canada's leap
Like its progenitor, the FW45 shows off as one of the fastest cars of the lot in a straight line. The quality is indicative of excellent work on aerodynamic penetration, but at the same time of a structural load deficiency. The 2023 Williams is a car that lacks grip especially in medium-low mileage corners. The seasonal development can be summarized in the large package of innovations introduced at the end of June, which aims precisely to address the lack of grip.
With the Canada package the bottom and the bodywork evolve hand in hand, testament to their close correlation. Williams reshapes the bottom in its three-dimensional geometries, from the entrance of the Venturi channels to the rear diffuser. The dipped bellies change in turn, both in the lower part where the flare under the side is accentuated, and in the upper area where the slide is dug even further, sinking into the bodywork. Also in Montreal, other accompanying changes are made, such as the fairings of the rear suspension arms or the aerodynamics of the wheel units. Finally, in Austria's next match, a further refinement of the surface debuts.
The early summer updates essentially increase the vertical load of the FW45, especially at low mileages, an aspect that does not go unnoticed by the competition: “For some time now Williams has confirmed that he has done so important steps forward in medium-slow corners”, the confirmation of Andrea Stella from McLaren. Furthermore, the Williams turns out to be a particularly docile, drivable and predictable car, guaranteeing drivers confidence even in those humid and uncertain weather conditions experienced for example in Holland.
From the arrival of the Montreal updates to the Zandvoort stage, in just six races Albon qualified four times in Q3, to which was added a qualification for Sargeant. In the same period of time, Williams collected three top-10 finishes for a total of 14 points, equivalent to half of the year-end haul, however conquered in less than a third of the calendar. Furthermore, on some occasions, such as the Silverstone race, in Albon's hands the FW45 gives the impression of being very close to the large group of pursuers behind Red Bull. Yet, with the exception of the new floor flow conveyors introduced at Suzuka, after Canada Williams stopped development, giving up promising new gains and relegating the track hierarchy.
The priority
Given the design's shortcomings, for Williams to halt development is essentially giving up on finding additional downforce. All this despite a surface that is still very simple both in the Venturi channels and in the external edge, therefore potentially with ample room for growth. The anticipated movement of attention on car 2024, however, does not simply aim to maximize the downforce on the next single-seater.
Alexander Albon explains on the occasion of the Dutch Grand Prix: “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.” The priority for Williams is to correct the character of its cars, questioning the design philosophy and techniques that for years have led to similar problems in terms of handling, sensitivity and stability. All critical issues which, according to Albon, were present even before 2022 and which therefore transcend the ground effect regulations, which can rather be traced back to the methods of setting up the project.
Aware of this, in 2023 Williams he is not enticed by development opportunities. Finding additional aerodynamic load on the FW45 was possible, but it would not have corrected the underlying limits, with the difference that it would have been more difficult to intervene later on a project at a more advanced stage. Better rather to return to the fundamental principles and build a more robust base, reviewing the distribution of aerodynamic forces and therefore the position of the center of pressure, as well as studying how the compromise between mechanics and aerodynamics conditions the behavior of the car.
The future
The objective for 2024 is to redefine the project priorities, finding the correct way to reshape the aerodynamic map to satisfy them. A long and expensive operation however, as Albon explains: “Next year the regulations will be the same. On paper, everything you bring in the car this year will come in handy, because it all adds up. But if you want change the characteristics and behavior of your machine, it takes time. I think we are doing the right thing to focus all our attention on next year.”
The technical direction for next year at Williams is defined. Meanwhile, behind the scenes the team continues to upgrade the infrastructure to bridge the gap with the top teams. The team indeed appears financially healthy, going so far as to ask the F1 Commission for a delegation of the ceiling for the costs of modernizing the company structures. The request was unsuccessful, but it leaves the image of a Williams in which there is no lack of resources, but not even ideas.
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