Technical Specifications Transmission WilliamsF1 7-speed Clutch AP Chassis Carbon/epoxy composite, manufactured by WilliamsF1 Suspension WilliamsF1 Steering                                                                                                Get to know the FW24 WilliamsF1 Cooling system Two water radiators, two oil radiators either side of the chassis Brakes Carbon discs and pads operated by AP callipers Lubricants Castrol Fuel Petrobras Wheels O.Z.Racing; 13 x 12 front, 13 x 13.7 rear Tyres Michelin Cockpit instrumentation WilliamsF1 digital data display Steering wheel *WilliamsF1 Driver’s seat *Anatomically formed in carbon/epoxy composite material with Alcantara covering Extinguished systems WilliamsF1/Safety Devices Paint system DuPont Cromax Front track 1,460 millimetres Rear track 1,400 millimetres Wheelbase 3,140 millimetres Weight 600 kg including driver and camera Overall car length 4,540 millimetres The development of the FW24 The starting point for the design of The FW24 was, in broad terms, twofold. Of primary consequence is any change to the fundamental technical parameters enforced by regulation updates for 2002. While a number of key areas will be affected by the new regulations, designers have not been forced to completely return to the drawing board in the same way that the move to narrower track width and grooved tyres demanded in 1998. 2002 is therefore an iterative year in many respects, as Gavin Fisher, Chief Designer at WilliamsF1 reflects. “The 2002 season sees few regulation changes, that brings with it the increased challenge to improve on a car which is already in a relatively high state of evolution.” Assuming a relatively static rulebook, the second cue for design changes is the assessment of shortcomings in the previous year’s car. “Relatively, we were quite pleased with our progress in 2001. In many respects, it is more stimulating for a designer to have a disastrous season, as it ensures the canvass is blank when it comes to starting on the development of the next car. As you progress, the opportunities for improvement are marginalised, and increasing amounts of effort must be expended for diminishing returns,” Fisher continues. In the absence of wholesale regulation changes, the design team at WilliamsF1 did however have to embrace a completely new BMW engine, the P82, which in turn required the development of a new gearbox, and associated changes to the remainder of the drivetrain. “The design work we have done in conjunction with BMW has further optimised the engine installation. As always, we are striving to minimise weight and package volume, providing consequential gains in car dynamics and aero systems efficiency,” says Fisher. Fisher also points out that developing, packaging and proving the new powertrain, will be one of the cornerstones of the team’s performance in 2002. “Powertrain evolutions naturally have a knock-on effect to the overall dynamics of the chassis, and as well as attending to the development of these components, we are of course obliged to consider how we re-balance the car for optimum chassis performance”, says Fisher. One rule change for next season is the relaxation of the restrictions on two-way telemetry. “Being able to control some auxiliary functions that would otherwise have been managed by the driver has required some adaptations to the car’s electronics, but in general terms, the car’s control systems are in a perpetual state of evolution in any case”, he explains. Despite the year-on-year changes, Fisher also identifies some longer term trends affecting the design process. “What has amazed me when I stop to think of it is how much we have shifted the design of the car towards predictive disciplines, and how for much of the design cycle the car never exists except in a virtual space. By making increasing use of tools such as finite element (FE) analysis and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), we can make some fairly accurate projections based on computer models without ever having to ‘cut’ any metal. This doesn’t mean that physical testing once the car is built does not make an essential contribution to our understanding, but that the early part of the design cycle happens in a virtual dimension”, Fisher explains. To support this one aspect of this ‘virtual’ design process, Compaq provided WilliamsF1 with the latest generation of Alpha Supercomputer during 2001. The huge computational resource this platform afforded – which was the basis for unlocking the code of the human genome – has allowed the WilliamsF1 design team to pinpoint aerodynamic improvements even when the design of the car has reached a high state of evolution. However, as Fisher reflects, it is not just a matter of letting computers do the work. “Where we have the opportunity to generate added value is in the intelligent use of these tools. For example, all Formula One teams have some form of CFD resource, but by the very nature of its computational power, it can easily lead you up blind alleys. Intuitively good design is still the essential starting point, but new generation computers provide a powerful validation ability”, he says. Effectively drawing the value out of the resources and relationships available to the designer is a key belief of Fisher’s, and much significance is attributed to the partnership between WilliamsF1, BMW and the array of technical partners that supply the team. “Undoubtedly an important feature of our success in 2001 lay in our relationships with BMW and Michelin. In particular, the ability to work together as one cohesive team has proved itself invaluable. As a result we have taken yet further steps with the design of the FW24 to integrate all of the intelligence and resources available to us”, he confirms. Beyond the traditionally credited engine and tyre manufacturers, technical partners such as Castrol and Petrobras have made significant contributions to the performance of the car based on their own advanced research and development programmes. Fisher concludes that the process of design is akin to acting as a particular efficient ringmaster. “The rules of the game are clearly established and for 2002, relatively stable. The resources we have between ourselves, BMW, Michelin, Compaq and our technical partners is significant. The trick is really to marshal these resources within intelligent processes, which hopefully will generate more together than could ever be achieved in isolation”, he summarises.