The Williams FW46 has not yet been seen in its technical guise, but it is already causing a lot of talk. The failure to declare the rear suspension scheme, coupled with the rather cryptic words of James Vowles, has increased strong interest in the possibility of the team using a push-rod suspension at the rear.
This could also be used by Aston Martin and Mercedes, from which the Grove and Silverstone teams purchase the transmission and are therefore constrained from a mechanical point of view.
If this were the case, and the rumours regarding the Maranello team were confirmed at the same time, Ferrari (and the Haas team) would remain the only team to use the more classic pull-rod at the rear.
Williams FW46: Very different from the FW45, but the team downplays its changes
“The FW46 will be completely different to last year’s car,” revealed Logan Sargeant. This is the first car heavily influenced by James Vowles, who arrived as team principal in 2023.
“For the last four or five years, we have used a certain way to design the car. This year, there has been a big change. And I think that is also why we are talking about a very different car. Not only aesthetically but also to drive on the simulator,” explained Alexander Albon.
In the technical department of the English team, a lot of work was done to understand the defects of the FW45; a car, according to its team principal, very complicated and difficult.
“It’s not just a question of aerodynamics, it’s not just how the suspensions were designed, it’s a problem that affects at least three or four areas. If much of that behaviour disappears, and it appears to be the case, we will be able to make important progress,” said the Williams team principal.
“Last year’s basic package wasn’t bad. It seemed like we were lacking downforce. However, that wasn’t really the case. For a variety of reasons, we were having difficulty extracting it, and a lot of our focus over the past few months was just making sure we understood what they were.”
It was at this stage that Williams realised, thanks to simulations, that to solve these problems, they needed to make significant changes, especially in the way they wanted to aerodynamically develop the car.
James Vowles: world champion mentality at the service of the Grove team
The FW46 was born from a new working method and a new mentality. Such a change in methodology came from the drive and ambition of James Vowles. The British engineer is more motivated than ever to push Williams to the front.
“I made it clear at the factory that the burden of failure will fall on my shoulders.
“I don’t want anyone to be held back by the fear of failure, or by the fear of pushing themselves beyond the limits of their comfort zone,” explained James Vowles in the press conference held after the presentation.
What has been missing in many seasons now is also at Ferrari, especially in the chassis and mechanical parts. That fear of daring, which we hope does not also limit the SF-24.
Having arrived at the end of February last year, Vowles immediately made important decisions.
This included abandoning the development of the FW45 very early in March. This year’s package will complete its first 200km of the season on February 20th.
Williams will capitalise on the FIA’s filming days just before pre-season tests.
“The FW46 means a lot to me. Because in this car, there is a lot of my way of thinking, my DNA, my structure.”
“In Formula 1, you need to dare. Too often, we try to stay in the comfort zone, where we feel at ease. But in this way, we risk making only small steps forward in improving the car’s performance,” explained Vowles.
The FW46 was born from the desire to dare, to push beyond the limit, even in the fine details.
For example, the Grove team modified its braking system more than anyone else during the winter. This is significant because it wasn’t necessarily a priority for this generation of cars.
“Those who dare progress, while those who stay in their comfort zone lose positions on the grid. But moving forward doesn’t mean being satisfied with being 7th or 8th.
“I will only be satisfied when we fight for the World Championships and, above all, we win them. There were times when I was not ashamed to admit that I couldn’t sleep due to the weight of having 1000 people on my shoulders.
“But I am confident that the direction we have taken for the future is the right one.”
James Vowles showed clear determination and ambition in his comments.
Author: Piergiuseppe Donadoni
Translation: Jaden Diaz-Ndisang
