Williams releases first images of its 2019 F1 design
The Williams Formula 1 team has released the first images of its 2019 car ahead of its physical reveal in testing next week
Williams unveiled its new livery earlier this week at a launch event for its new ROKiT title sponsorship, but used a show car with 2019-spec front wing.
It has now published a video render of its 2019 car before it appears in public next Monday ahead of testing at Barcelona.
Williams has cancelled a planned shakedown of the FW42 because it is running behind schedule.
The team slumped to last in the constructors' championship in 2018 but deputy team principal Claire Williams has been careful to set expectations for this season.
"That's dangerous," she said. "None of us know where other teams are going to be.
"Our target this year is progress. We have to show that.
"In the short-term we have to be targeting the top four again and work back towards getting on the podium."
Expert view
Jake Boxall-Legge, Technical Editor
Although just a render, there's a few areas of note in the images released of the FW42, especially around the sidepod inlet and rear wing.
Firstly, the front wing is different to that seen in Williams's livery launch, demonstrating a different design in the top two flaps. Nonetheless, it's quite a basic design, and less complex compared to those released in the past couple of days.
The furniture around the sidepod inlets, once more following the trend of positioning these high up, is kept low down in compliance with the new rules - working with the bargeboards to turn around airflow and minimise the effect of tyre wake.
There's also a large scroll along the edge of the floor to pick up flow off the bargeboards and turn that into a vortex to be used further down the car.
Last year's sidepod concept remains, while the rear wing endplates develop a noticeable upwash effect from the point at which it folds in, changing the path of the trailing vortices produced and attempting to generate a greater amount of suction underneath.
The team will presumably emerge in testing with a more developed version of the unveiled car, having been unable to carry out a shakedown ahead of running at Barcelona.
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