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#180857
Looks like Williams are taking a page out of Newey's book as well...

Williams is pinning its hopes on an aggressive new aerodynamic package in a bid to return to winning ways this season.

Technical director Sam Michael told this week's AUTOSPORT magazine that the team's new car would not be a simple evolution of its 2009 design.

"The FW32 is a clean-sheet design from front to back," he said. "It's pretty much brand new from an aerodynamic point of view."

According to Michael, the radical new regulations for 2009 gave the Grove-based squad the opportunity to bridge the gap to the front-running teams, and he believes that Williams's consistency last season is a strong platform to move forwards.

"The fact that we had a consistent car across all of the tracks in 2009, and wiped out a lot of the vices that we had in the previous car, gives us confidence."

Williams also believes in veteran Rubens Barrichello and GP2 champion Nico Hulkenberg the team has a strong driver line-up to help achieve its target of wins.

"Rubens is quite a demanding guy, in a positive way, because he wants to achieve things quickly," explained Michael. "He is unlikely to be around in five years' time because of his age and has a sense of urgency about him."

Hulkenberg is rated as one of the best young drivers around and, after two years at the Oxfordshire team as a test driver, is fully integrated.

Along with Barrichello, who pushed Jenson Button for the title last season, Michael believes the team has its best chance of re-establishing itself as a winning squad.

"The amount of pushing Nico is doing will be good for Rubens," said Michael. "Nico has been quick since he started at Williams and he's been pushing himself very hard."

It's not like the team started late on the car either, they started pretty early whilst being still able to work on the FW31 developments as well.

It's good to see the effect both Rubens and Hulk are having on the team, a big improvement on when Rosberg was usually jollying it up in Monaco and spending less time at the factory.
#180878
Wasn't the FW31 one of the best aero designs on the grid already? I thought their problem was the Toyota engine.


If you believe what the people within the sport say about how the Toyota engine was around 3/10 per lap slower than the Mercedes, then you'd have to assume that the Williams car was pretty good. And indeed, it was pretty good regardless. If Rosberg had had a team-mate capable of scoring points, Williams would have finished higher in the constructors' championship.
#180886
Wasn't the FW31 one of the best aero designs on the grid already? I thought their problem was the Toyota engine.


If you believe what the people within the sport say about how the Toyota engine was around 3/10 per lap slower than the Mercedes, then you'd have to assume that the Williams car was pretty good. And indeed, it was pretty good regardless. If Rosberg had had a team-mate capable of scoring points, Williams would have finished higher in the constructors' championship.


So true. Hopefully they'll be in a much stronger position this year with the more powerful Cosworth. I'd love to have seen how fast the FW31 would have actually gone with a Merc or Renault engine though.
#180896
Sounds like they're trying to make every track suit their car. :P


according to Rosberg every track suited the Williams last year :rofl:



In a way, it kinda did though. He just messed up his races by making a tiny mistake or eating up his tires, and Nakajima... well no explanation needed. The FW31 was a step in the right direction, it just needed better drivers and a better engine as Hansy said.
#180898
Sounds like they're trying to make every track suit their car. :P


according to Rosberg every track suited the Williams last year :rofl:



In a way, it kinda did though. He just messed up his races by making a tiny mistake or eating up his tires, and Nakajima... well no explanation needed. The FW31 was a step in the right direction, it just needed better drivers and a better engine as Hansy said.


I could not find the Sarcmark for that last statement matey, Rosberg always blamed the car
#180904
Schumi and Webber are my drivers and I've generally followed Adrian Newey around so Red Bull is my current team.

Having said that, nothing would make me happier to see Williams get another Championship or two, let them sell for a good price and all retire happy.
#180906
Williams Renault... Thats got a nice ring to it. :thumbup: Brings back some fond memories. Williams have not had a decent engine in the back of their car since BMW.

Its a pity Williams didn't go for Renault engines this year. I have a bad feeling the Cosworth engine will spill oil many times this year. :(
#180908
Sounds like they're trying to make every track suit their car. :P


according to Rosberg every track suited the Williams last year :rofl:



In a way, it kinda did though. He just messed up his races by making a tiny mistake or eating up his tires, and Nakajima... well no explanation needed. The FW31 was a step in the right direction, it just needed better drivers and a better engine as Hansy said.


I could not find the Sarcmark for that last statement matey, Rosberg always blamed the car


True, but I still think the FW31 was a decent car.
#180909
Williams Renault... Thats got a nice ring to it. :thumbup: Brings back some fond memories. Williams have not had a decent engine in the back of their car since BMW.

Its a pity Williams didn't go for Renault engines this year. I have a bad feeling the Cosworth engine will spill oil many times this year. :(


I honestly don't see how they are going to compete with the big boys.
#180914
Williams Renault... Thats got a nice ring to it. :thumbup: Brings back some fond memories. Williams have not had a decent engine in the back of their car since BMW.

Its a pity Williams didn't go for Renault engines this year. I have a bad feeling the Cosworth engine will spill oil many times this year. :(


I think the uncertainty over Renault's future in the sport is what did it. I wouldn't want to be stuck in a situation where I had designed my car around the Renault engine and then, at the last minute, was forced to change the design to suit the Cosworth instead. Probably better to go with the Cosworth for a year and then see what happens in future.
#180917
I don't mean to put a downer on things, cos I love Williams, but...Have we forgotten the last time they tried to pull the innovation card?

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#180920
I don't mean to put a downer on things, cos I love Williams, but...Have we forgotten the last time they tried to pull the innovation card?

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The design team's changed quite a lot since then. Somehow I get a feeling they'll go for something Red Bull style...

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