

The target is to clean dramatically the airflow passing over the rear beam wing and the diffuser roof causing a serious increase in downforce production. This aggressive structural approach gave permission to aero dynamists to construct a fabulous low and compact rear car end, the smallest in 2011 grid. The team managed to construct the smallest ever 7-speed gearbox even though the gearbox endurance is now increased from 4 to 5 races this year. Lastly the second inlet which helped to cool the gearbox radiator located behind the T-shaped camera, is now gone from the FW33.

To ensure structural stiffness a pair of pillars was added. Major changes occurred at the airbox zone with the engine inlet to be now circular instead of triangular and lot of bodywork to be removed behind the driver’s helmet to reduce frontal surface and hence drag.

The new oversized in the front sidepods due to KERS re-installation with a tighter bodyline closing to the car centre offer a different airstream towards the car rear and thus the team had to redesign both the bargeboard and the panel shape. However the nose pillars are now inclined forward to push the front wing away from the nose cone aiming a cleaner airflow onto the wing’s flaps. Īt the front little changes took place, the nose box is a bit wider and higher than before, with winglets ala “hammerhead shark” pattern ( see link ) inherited by the F32 and a front wing also derived from the FW32. The FW33 launched at Valencia is regarded to be a “launch” spec as many serious upgrade packages will complete and improve the car’s performance and Sam Michael, Williams technical director, even believes that during season will manage to gain back any aerodynamic loss caused by the new 2011 regulations. Looking FW33 from the front gives you the impression that little have changed on the car since last year but a side and rear view of the car proves that the team aggressively designed and built the new car The new FW33 was painted in an interim dark blue livery, something Williams accustomed to before launching its normal paint theme. Williams presented the 2011 F1 contender, the FW33 at Valencia in 1 st February 2011.
