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Innovative Technical Solutions from Williams and Sauber: A Fresh Take on F1 Design Development

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
March 18, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Innovative Technical Solutions from Williams and Sauber: A Fresh Take on F1 Design Development

Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Qualifying - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 15, 2025 Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg during qualifying REUTERS/Mark Peterson

Formula 1 teams are infamous for their secretive nature when it comes to revealing the specifics of their latest automobiles. They are particularly careful when it comes to designs that could be easily replicated, potentially compromising the initial innovators. This is a story of underdogs, Williams and Sauber, who despite not being frontrunners, have come up with intriguing technical solutions that could draw the attention of their competitors.

One would assume that cutting-edge solutions are the exclusive domain of the top-tier teams, with the underdogs following their trail. However, this is often not the case. Smaller teams, like Williams and Sauber, are constantly on the lookout for innovations that can give them an edge, however slight. These innovations then attract the attention of the big guns, who have the resources to further refine and implement these designs.

Williams, for instance, made a splash in Melbourne with a novel interpretation of the rear wing’s tip section, appearing as if a chunk had been bitten off the upper corner of the surface. This area has been a hotbed of development during this regulatory phase, with numerous solutions being devised to achieve optimal performance.

The first to experiment with this were Alpine and Aston Martin, who introduced similar semi-detached tip sections at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix. The trend caught on, and now all ten teams have some version of this design on their vehicles.

The latest rendition of this solution on the FW47 isn’t a game-changer. However, considering the development that’s already been undertaken, it’s fascinating to see new solutions continue to emerge. This could potentially pique the interest of their competitors.

It’s speculated that Williams held back this design during pre-season testing, sticking with their regular squared-off solution in Bahrain. There was no mention of this modification in the pre-event car presentation document. This might be because it’s a trim rather than a completely new piece, which doesn’t necessitate a mention, as has been the case with more significant changes in the past.

Similarly, Sauber arrived in Australia with a slew of new parts for their first race. The Sauber C45 was noticeably different from the model in Bahrain, suggesting the team wanted to gather performance baseline data from their existing package before implementing the new components.

Changes were evident in the flap layout of the two wings, including the movable sections, but also the non-movable sections adjacent to the nose. There’s also a significant shift in how the team now handles the endplate and flap juncture, moving away from the previously outwardly rolled tips to inwardly rolled counterparts.

Sauber’s revised sidepod layout could be another feature that has their rivals raising an eyebrow. It features a protrusion under the inlet that is similarly sized to the mid-wing above and extends around the sidepod’s flank. This design pushes the geometrical boundaries and seems to enhance cooling, while also boosting the airflow that moves around the sidepod’s shoulder.

This detail may interest teams with a similar base sidepod layout, such as McLaren and Ferrari. It could also be adapted to the Aston Martin and Haas design schemes, albeit with minor modifications to the surrounding architecture.

In conclusion, the world of F1 is a constant battle of innovation and adaption. Williams and Sauber, despite their lower ranking, have made significant strides that might inspire their larger competitors to rethink their own designs.

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