The Grove team has not yet revealed the single-seater that will take part in the next championship, for which we will have to wait for the shakedown announced for Monday 13 February. However, in the press release that accompanied the launch event, Williams wanted to give a preview of the cornerstones of the new car project. The car has been defined as an evolution rather than a revolution of the FW44, although it will be necessary to wait for the images of the track to verify if this is a faithful or simplistic description. In fact, considering the disappointing performance of 2022, it is plausible that the Grove technicians have opted for a change of concept, especially as regards the philosophy of the fund.
The FW45 will have new front suspension geometry, although this refers to the simple wishbone arrangement and not anything deeper. In fact, the technical specifications state that the 2023 single-seater will maintain the push-rod kinematics at the front, without veering to a pull-rod scheme along the lines of Red Bull and McLaren. Similarly, also at the rear the suspension unit will remain faithful to the tie rod architecture of the FW44. According to what was declared by the Grove team, the sidepods will be another new element compared to the previous car, declaring that “the team took the opportunity to profoundly evolve the philosophy of bellies”. Already in 2022 Williams had revolutionized its sides during the current season, going from a lean body to a Red Bull-style bumpy belly starting from the Silverstone round. The FW45 will introduce yet another change in this area, taking advantage of the optimization work on the cooling of the power unit. Mercedes was queen in this in 2022, minimizing the drag generated by the passage of air inside the cooling system. The W13s also featured an ultra-compact intercooler developed, according to rumors, in synergy with the aerospace company Reaction Engines. Since the intercooler is one of the components that can be transferred from one team to another, it cannot be excluded that the next Williams could benefit from the same solution.
Overall, Williams anticipates that the FW45 will be aerodynamically more efficient than its predecessor, already extremely fast in a straight line, but lacking in downforce. The balance of the Grove car has also been designed to marry best with the new construction of the front Pirelli tires for 2023, which will reduce the tendency to understeer. Finally, compared to 2022, the livery appears more colorful, with some touches of blue even present on the rims, while in the past season large portions of the bodywork featured visible carbon to save weight. It is possible that even with the start of the new season Williams will simplify the livery compared to the launch event, but if confirmed it would be the indication of a car actually close to the minimum weight, as reported in the technical sheet.
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