Williams today
released the first images of its 2014 challenger: the Williams Mercedes
FW36. The FW36 is one of the most technologically advanced Formula One cars
produced by Williams. It is the culmination of more than two years research
and development by the team’s technical departments in Grove and it
incorporates the power unit from the team’s new partner, Mercedes-Benz.
“There’s a lot more technology on the cars this year,” says Williams Chief
Technical Officer Pat Symonds. “We’ve had turbo-charged engines in F1
before; what’s different this time is that it is much more than just an
engine change, it is a completely different system. We’ve gone from a
slightly hybridised normally aspirated engine to a fully integrated hybrid
power unit with novel technology at its heart.”
To meet the challenges of the new power unit, Williams signed the deal with
Mercedes Benz High Performance Powertrains midway through last season. The
team received the first CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data for the power unit
at the end of May, at which point the detailed design of the FW36 could
begin to be finalised.
“This is the
first time that Williams has worked with Mercedes in F1 and we’ve been very
impressed,” says Symonds. “Their professionalism and commitment have been
notable and we’re as confident as we can be that the power unit will be
competitive.”
The design phase of the FW36 was completed by mid-September, by which time
the team had found solutions to the major challenges presented by the
regulations. Cooling, weight, a new gearbox and aerodynamic changes are just
some of the areas of focus.
“Overall the cars will need more cooling this year,” says Symonds. “The
demands on water and oil cooling may be slightly diminished, but the ERS
system is significantly more powerful and hence needs more cooling. We also
have to cool the charge air from the turbocharger compressor which requires
a substantial intercooler.”
The FW36’s gearbox ran on the dyno for the first time at the beginning of
November, before running with the full power unit several weeks later. It’s
the first eight-speed gearbox in Williams’ history.
“We finished the gearbox relatively early,” says Symonds. “It’s completed a
lot of running on the test rig and at Mercedes HPP in Brixworth, but you
can’t take reliability for granted. It’s a completely new ’box and it has to
cope with a lot more torque than was the case with the V8.”
The weight of the car, when combined with the FIA’s ever more stringent
crash tests, has been another challenge of the 2014 rules. But the FW36 was
one of the first cars to pass its crash tests prior to Christmas.
“The build of the new car has gone remarkably smoothly,” says Symonds. “But
it’s been a challenge to get the car down to the weight limit. It’s been
achievable, but it hasn’t been easy because the new power unit is heavier
than the outgoing V8.”
The launch-spec aerodynamic package that you see here was finalised in the
first week of December, with an upgrade package for Melbourne’s
season-opener signed off in early January.
“F1 is still
going to be an aerodynamic formula in 2014,” says Symonds. “There are some
significant changes: the nose is lower than last year and the front wing is
narrower, which means the end plates are now more shrouded by the front
tyre. The rear wing isn’t as deep as last year and the beam wing below it is
no longer permitted, and we’ve also lost the ability to use the exhaust to
enhance aero performance.”
Until the car begins testing next week the team won’t know how its design
solutions will translate onto the track, but Symonds is confident that
Williams has done enough to move up the grid after a disappointing 2013
season.
“I’m confident that we’ll be closer to the front aerodynamically than we
were last year,” says Symonds. “Our ambition for the year ahead is to have a
strong 2014 season.” |