Dave Robson, head of vehicle performance at Williams F1, said team engineers considered stripping off all the paint to make the FW44 lighter, but of course the plan was opposed by marketing.
When the new generation F1 car was announced in 2022, the importance became the biggest issue. The move to 18-inch tires and changes to the chassis structure to improve safety set a minimum weight of 795kg, the heaviest in F1 history, but most F1 teams were well above that threshold.
After the pre-season test, the minimum weight was approved to increase by an additional 3 kg, but F1 teams still struggled to reach the cap, and some teams are said to have exceeded the minimum weight by as much as 10 kg. ..
Red Bull, McLaren, and Aston Martin have stripped paint on some parts of the car to expose the carbon to make it even a little lighter, but Dave Robson said Williams F1 was planned by the team’s marketing department. He explained that he considered taking off all the paint one step further before disagreeing.
“It’s where engineering and marketing clash,” said Dave Robson.
“We all want the car to look attractive. It’s part of the sport. And it’s not just the car coloring. It sets the tone for the entire brand. This is obviously very important. is”
“It’s a compromise. A car needs a visible personality, but at the same time it’s in the sponsor’s interest to make the car as fast as possible.”
Given the widespread weight struggle of the F1 team, Dave Robson believes F1 made a mistake in the minimum weight when developing the new regulations.
“I think we’ve known for quite some time that achieving the minimum weight limit is incredibly difficult,” said Dave Robson.
“In addition, as cost caps become more complex, how do large teams achieve that?”
“To some extent it’s a slightly arbitrary number. If the FIA sets a weight limit of 500 kg, it can never be achieved. Therefore, it depends on how we see the purpose of that number as a sport. “
“If, as it is, the majority of teams, or all teams, are, then it’s better to increase that number as a sport.”
“But if there’s one team that doesn’t need to increase it, of course, it’s perfectly understandable that they wouldn’t agree with it.”
Dave Robson has achieved a “meaningful” weight reduction by the Williams F1’s selective removal of paint from the F car, leaving the bare carbon portion of the FW44 to remain the same for the rest of the season. Have sex
“The paint scheme is a bit more than a pure engineering decision, but it’s expensive and time-consuming to find weight in other ways, so you can imagine it staying the same,” Dave Robson said.
“If you’re happy with the look of your current car, you’d better spend your engineering budget on something else to make your car faster. I hope it stays the same.”
Category: Category: F1 / Williams