117 replies to this topic

[bargeboard]

Last year vs this year side by side I found on YouTube

https://youtu.be/dSHvWqVw9hs

The new car looks a lot more driveable.

[teejay]

As long as they are with the pack rather than 2 seconds from last, it's a big step. 

 

They can hopefully then keep working on improvements into the season. 

[Baddoer]

Last year vs this year side by side I found on YouTube

https://youtu.be/dSHvWqVw9hs

The new car looks a lot more driveable.

Yep it's like comparing FW33 vs F34. Hopefully they managed that sort of improvement.

[w1Y]

Big difference between those two cids seemed to be in low speed to me.

[Victor]

Last year vs this year side by side I found on YouTube

https://youtu.be/dSHvWqVw9hs

The new car looks a lot more driveable.

However it also looks like it will tend to oversteer in slow curves and to be a bit unpredictable in bumpy circuits.

[MirNyet]

Last year vs this year side by side I found on YouTube

https://youtu.be/dSHvWqVw9hs

The new car looks a lot more driveable.

 

Lot less steering input going on there - much better.

[rodlamas]

Probably the biggest relative improvement in 2020 in the FW43. Nice car. Won't finish 10th on the WCC.

[Francesc]

A lot will depend on whether Russell will be alone scoring or not.

[Paco]

A lot will depend on whether Russell will be alone scoring or not.

Latifi showed in his fp1 sessions he will be closer to Russell so good chance he’ll be in the mix with Russell throughout a full distance and within .5 I believe.

Can’t wait to see the guys we’re able to jump anyone on the grid and get off the bottom. Fingers crossed.

Edited by Paco, 22 February 2020 - 18:40.

[bargeboard]

Probably the biggest relative improvement in 2020 in the FW43. Nice car. Won't finish 10th on the WCC.

I like your optimism! I'd even take a feisty tenth at this point. But if they can overhaul another team, even better!

[SparkPlug86]

Seems Williams are at least as quick as HAAS, based on initial 1st test observations.

[TomNokoe]

George confirmed on Beyond The Grid that they are still carrying a very heavy drag penalty.

[Peter Perfect]

I've been a bit worried that the only reason they've moved up the grid (a little bit) this year was due more to the PU than improvements in the chassis. 

 

Do we know if the drag issue is fixable? Or does the car fundamentally just not produce enough downforce and they have to crank up the wing angle?

[masa90]

I've been a bit worried that the only reason they've moved up the grid (a little bit) this year was due more to the PU than improvements in the chassis. 

 

Do we know if the drag issue is fixable? Or does the car fundamentally just not produce enough downforce and they have to crank up the wing angle?

 

What happened after 2017? Williams just completely dropped the ball and even if they just got their head above water they are still struggling massively.

 

In quali that merc motor indeed gives it quite a big improvement.

[PayasYouRace]

What happened after 2017?

Paddy Lowe happened.

There’s a lot of catching up to do now and they won’t turn it round in a weekend. They’re not the biggest team any more so making a big jump relative to everyone else will be very difficult.

[TomNokoe]

I've been a bit worried that the only reason they've moved up the grid (a little bit) this year was due more to the PU than improvements in the chassis. 

 

Do we know if the drag issue is fixable? Or does the car fundamentally just not produce enough downforce and they have to crank up the wing angle?

I don't think they're deliberately sacrificing drag for downforce per se, but rather the downforce they generate is quite "dirty", as the engineers like to say. I don't have CFD eyes but there's a lot of rake in the car, and the bargeboard solution looks a tad inelegant.

 

I think the showings in the wet, and in Hungary, prove that the car has respectable downforce. Seems quite drivable, too.

 

I can't tell if this weekend is going to be painful or not, because Haas and Alfa, whilst they have a slightly more efficient chassis, have an awful PU in the back. It seems like both factors cancel each-other out.

 

I think George's one-lap pace and the Mercedes qualifying modes are flattering them slightly, but no doubt they're making progress.

Edited by TomNokoe, 29 July 2020 - 21:04.

[PayasYouRace]

It’s all about your L/D ratio. The bigger that is, the better off you are. If it’s smaller you have to compromise. Crank on downforce and sacrifice top speed, or trim out and lose out in the corners.

That has always been the aerodynamic difference between a car at the front and a car at the back.

[Beri]

Williams has ironed out the technical side that was holding the FW42 back. So in essence, the speed portrayed now is what the FW42 should have shown last year.
The FW43 is still having it's issues like high drag. But the fact that they are now able to experiment with updates, that do not have to take into account the deficits that the FW42 had, is making it easier to do so. I have full confidence that Williams can iron out some of the flaws and that they will score points on merit of their speed. But it will be a long haul to achieve this.