Analysis

Bite-size tech: Williams FW38 front wing serrations

Williams is still using 2016 as a platform to understand where it has gone wrong, even though it has turned its attention toward next year's challenger.

The heady success of 2014 has petered away in the last two seasons as others have out-developed the Grove-based squad, but the team continues to assert it can mix it with the bigger, well-funded outfits.

Much of the team's struggle has come from getting the maximum from the tyre, be it in peak performance or maximising stint lengths.

As such, Williams have recently recruited Antonio Spagnolo a former Ferrari engineer that rose through their engineering ranks before heading the tyre performance group.

It’s hoped that the Italian’s experience will elevate the British teams chances in the latter part of this campaign and yield a lasting impact, as the tyres are significantly altered to accommodate the 2017 regulations.

While the impending changes for 2017 cannot be ignored, Williams finds itself in a fierce battle with Force India for fourth position in the championship, coveted by both teams due to the additional financial windfall it represents.

As such, neither team has fully disengaged from this year's development, with Williams introducing a new front wing last time out in Singapore.

With images of the wing from behind sparse at the last race, we can’t be certain whether the design was run during the GP or tested ahead of this one, but it was certainly available.

Williams FW38, front wing

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The wing features five serrated ‘teeth’ on the trailing edge of the slot that punctuates the upper flap. It’s a design feature that we’ve seen used by Mercedes since Japan last year and more recently trialled by both Red Bull and Ferrari in China and Singapore respectively.

The difference with the Williams variant is that these serrations are only placed in the slot, rather than a significant length of the penultimate flap. Furthermore, the serrations are rather large, whereas the other designs seen more recently by Red Bull and Ferrari have tended to use smaller elements.

These serrations are designed to improve the efficiency of the flapped section both below them and that resides above, allowing steeper angles of attack to be used without fear of flow separation.

It’s also important to note that the slot and serrations are in line with the vertical strakes, which also shape and improve the distribution of the airflow underneath the wing.