PlanetF1

Williams FW35 'a step forward'

Tuesday 19-February-2013 08:30

Williams finally took the covers off their 2013 challenger on Tuesday morning, with Sir Frank Williams saying it is a "step forward".

After their disastrous 2011 campaign during which they picked up only five points, the Grove squad returned to the top step of the podium in 2012 with Pastor Maldonado winning the Spanish Grand Prix.

The team will no doubt be hoping for more of the same this year with the FW35 an evolution of their 2012 car. Don't be fooled into thinking it's an old car though as the team insists "80 per cent" of it is new as the gearbox, rear suspension, rads, floor, exhausts, bodywork, and nose are all new.

Team principal Sir Frank is optimistic that the new car will allow them to challenge this season.

"A group of talented people with good imagination and plenty of courage have been working together to build the Williams Renault FW35," he said.

"We will have to wait until Australia to truly see what we have, but we believe it is step forward from last year's car which was also a very competitive vehicle. Pastor is a delightful character who is a massively determined racer, whilst Valtteri [Bottas] is quieter, but still waters run deep, and he is a highly gifted driver.

"Williams has been at the top many times over the last 30 years. It's the nature of the sport to have ups and downs, but when we are down we always fight our way back. I'm hoping that with the current team we have in place, our new FW35, the combined talent of Pastor, Valtteri and Susie [Wolff], and the continued support from our partners; we will be in a position to challenge the very best."

Technical Director Mike Coughlan highlighted the Coanda effect as a game changer for Williams.

"Given the rule stability over the winter, I'm pleased with the gains that we've been able to make with this car," he said.

"It's a better, more refined Formula 1 car than the FW34 and I think everyone involved in the project can feel proud of the work they've done.

"The Coanda effect is going to be a big thing for us. There's been no rule clarification concerning this area of the car, so we'll work closely with Renault to maximise the available gains. Use of the DRS is more restricted this year, so we'll take some resource away from that and focus on other areas."