Analysis

Bite-size tech: Williams FW38 front wings

Williams has shipped in two new front wings that were used during FP3 as it looks for an uplift in performance to fight both those ahead in the championship and soften the threat from Force India behind.

Valtteri Bottas, Williams F1 Team front wing

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The wing used by Bottas above is very similar to the design already employed by Williams but rather than having the small teeth on the flaps to improve flow between the flaps and stop debris/tyre marbles collecting in the gap, it is finished with a new paint which has more surface roughness, much like a sharks skin.

Felipe Massa, Williams F1 Team front wing

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

On Massa's car the team has a heavily revised design with a new endplate fin [1], which abruptly curves upward. Inside the main cascade is a new vertical control vane [2], which has a slot toward the leading edge to improve flow distribution around its surface.

The cascades mounting leg [3]has also been furnished with a slot for much the same purpose, whilst the 'r' cascade [4] has been reprofiled with a much less angular leading edge and tilts over toward the the main cascade to work with its surface too.

Like the wing used by Bottas there are numerous surface finishes being employed in order to cater for different flow conditions and reduce the chance of debris being collected.