Williams FW44

[PlatinumZealot]

Good spot.


So its like a pressure bleed off that probably helps to extract aor from the radators?

Sauber ran something that may be similr but maybe not...


https://formula1techandart.wordpress.co ... ition/amp/

[tomazy]

I think it has nothing to do with the radiators, but that it is purly aero to create outwash so that the dirty air from the front tires doesn't come near the floor. Similar idea as AMR22 has with its flat black panel beside the sidepod inlets, but Williams have more control over the airflow that way.

[SiLo]

The opening is far too large to be for "other" cooling. There is defeinitly something going on with aero there.

[pierrre]

higher res. right click, open new tab then on the new tab click on the picture to get actual size
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FLq7GxBXMAk ... name=large

Yes it looks like they moved their centerline cooling towards the front, closer to the engine, maybe in a more vertical and common angle, feeding it by the top roll-hoop inlet.
So why would they do this? Maybe like Alpine in '21 they increased its size in order to slim down the sidepods more, but maybe it couldnt fit anymore in its original place, and/or they did this for weight distribution reasons and put that mass in a more neutral place.

The older ones:

definitely aero packaging, as you said, a more compact rear section even at the expense of c.o.g.

[pierrre]

Maybe a bit better resolution:

https://i.imgur.com/Dd2ftVI.jpg

sidepods look very pre-2022, forcing air out wide creating negative pressure behind it to draw in air from on top downwards or 'downwash' towards the sensitive rear section

[ENGINE TUNER]

The sides are incredibly slender. That Mercedes engine must be a designer's dream to work with, it's incredible how relatively little cooling it needs whilst also being the most powerful

The point of the pu regs are to chase higher efficiency, that means losing less waste heat, and therefore higher efficiency gives a double advantage of more power and less required cooling requirements. Neat huh?

[JPower]

Maybe a bit better resolution:

https://i.imgur.com/Dd2ftVI.jpg

sidepods look very pre-2022, forcing air out wide creating negative pressure behind it to draw in air from on top downwards or 'downwash' towards the sensitive rear section

Yep.

[AtlasZX]

Can they even put a hole there? I thought the louvres were the only possible way to put holes in the sidepods, and I think that "dark spot" is too far away from the area where louvres are allowed.

[Mat-tes]

This might be an ingenious way to help the flow separate a bit less from the upper surface of the sidepod "ramp". With this new sets of regulations teams don't have access to the wing profile they use to run at the top of the sidepod and on the side that was beneficial to help the flow stay attached, having an air outlet there would work like an S duct, help the flow to stick longer to a steep change of incline.

If you have a look at the 21 Williams, the bits of wings that directs the flow are positioned roughly the same way those supposed holes would be, so my thinking would be they are trying to claw back some of that benefit but differently.

[Morteza]

[FittingMechanics]

Can they even put a hole there? I thought the louvres were the only possible way to put holes in the sidepods, and I think that "dark spot" is too far away from the area where louvres are allowed.

I would assume that they can't - rules allowed louvres in a specific area.

I still find it most likely that the dark spot is in fact a bump - probably side impact structure that they shrink wrapped around so it stands out in the light.

Kyle-Engineers didn't really pay attention to it, but I don't think he viewed the potato quality photo from the test so maybe he missed it. Scarbs said he expected the opening to be bigger so maybe it really is an opening, I guess he'd know if it is legal or not.

[Jolle]

Could the wider sidepod intakes have anything to do with running an air to air intercooler? I assume the rest of the cars we've seen so far run air-water-air intercoolers.

[Blackout]

Why?
Anyways until last year, every team used 1 or 2 air-air intercoolers, except
- the Ferrari powered teams.
- Mercedes AMG factory team.

[jjn9128]

Good spot.


So its like a pressure bleed off that probably helps to extract aor from the radators?

Sauber ran something that may be similr but maybe not...

https://formula1techandart.files.wordpr ... a-1d-f.jpg
https://formula1techandart.wordpress.co ... ition/amp/

That's for cooling electronics mounted in the SPod undercut - it's only on 1 side

[michl420]

I am not a fan of what look strange is strange, but this side hole in the sidepod could be real. I can see no cooler and there is no such net as in the lower opening. But the first question is, would it be allowed.