Home - The Official Formula 1 Website Skip to content

Williams FW28 - barge boards and ears

For Japan, a tiny vertical turning vane (yellow arrow) has been added parallel to the side of the splitter's foremost section. Both elements connect to the front barge boards and help improve the quality of airflow directed to the bottom of the car. This generates additional downforce and helps...

Williams FW28 - mid wing

Another aero development for China is a new mid wing on top of the engine cover. It is new in that it is not horizontal, but instead slopes upwards. This makes it more efficient in that it generates a higher quality airflow to the rear of the car, with less turbulence. Being in the middle of the...

Williams FW28 - front-wing development

Another evolution for China, with dramatically curved upper profiles connected to the nosecone at their inner edge, in a similar fashion to the Renault's. The endplates are the ones introduced in France, with two horizontal airflow splitters - one halfway up in the centre, and one at the upper...

Williams FW28 - front wing

Williams, like all the other teams in Monza, are sporting dramatically reduced wing profiles. The front wing changes are particularly striking, especially the reduced section of the flap, which is now a single design as opposed to the double seen in Istanbul. Furthermore, the additional winglets...

Williams FW28 - vertical side splitter

An interesting development in Germany is this vertical splitter just below the upwardly-curved flip-ups on the side of the car. It has two functions. Firstly it strengthens the flip-up structure. Secondly, it acts as a splitter in a crucial area, increasing the speed and pressure of the airflow...

Williams FW28 - rear-end aero development

Introduced a couple of races back and again present in France, this bodywork evolution can now be considered definitive. The Williams engineers have tried to cut turbulence generated by the rear suspension elements by adopting this extended suspension cover over the push-rod link. The cover, which...

Williams FW28 - front wing development

After the revisions in Canada, the front of the FW28 sported further changes in France. A single flap replaces the previous double design and the additional winglets over the main profile have increased in length, almost reaching the side of the nosecone. The endplates now feature mid-height...

Williams FW28 - side winglets / revised flap

Some interesting aero changes for Montreal, aimed at increasing downforce on the circuit's twisty sections, without affecting top speed on the fast parts. Among them are these horizontal winglets at the top of the nose, not dissimilar to those on the Toyota and Renault. These reduce turbulence...

Williams FW 28 - turning vanes

The area immediately in front of the sidepods is a crucial one in terms of a car's overall efficiency. At Silverstone Williams have reintroduced a solution seen on last year's car - a narrower and more pointed turning vane, profiled like a wing, replacing the squared flat one used more recently. In...

Williams FW28 - triple mid wing

Teams will use any method at their disposal to gain more downforce at Monaco. Williams have gone for a simple but effective triple mid wing on the FW28's engine cover. This not only adds downforce in the centre of the car, it also helps to manage airflow passing to the rear wing, hence increasing...

Williams FW28 - front barge boards

This area of the car is under constant development by all teams. It is crucial to correctly manage the airflow here, where you begin controlling the air that passes to the rear of the car, feeding the rear wing and the under-body diffuser, and the air entering the sidepods for engine cooling. In...

Williams FW28 - barge boards

A development for Europe is this additional small barge board (right arrow) in front of the main one (left arrow), connected to the protruding horizontal turning vane in similar fashion to a solution used by BAR last year. The small board improves the aerodynamics in this area by diverting a small...

Williams FW28 - front-wing ears

Introduced in Bahrain, this change takes on more significance at Sepang, where downforce requirements are higher. Two inner 'ears' are attached to the inside edge of the endplates (red arrow). These are a development of the fins seen in a similar position on last year's FW27, but they now have a...

Williams FW28 - nose cone

In contrast to the rear of the new Williams, which looks quite similar to its predecessor, the front is very different. A no-keel arrangement for the front suspension means the chassis is now higher, allowing more airflow to the bottom of the car. As a result, the nose cone is now very low, dropping...

Williams FW28 - rear detail

Among the most distinctive features of the new Williams is the rearward-sloping fin on its engine cover. It features a striking, deep cut at its base (red arrow), which emphasises just how much smaller and shorter the new V8 is than its V10 predecessor. The car's aerodynamics are revised, though...

RELATED ITEMS