Williams technical package for Sepang

[Sodemo]

Just a question, there was talk before the first race at Melbourne that they didn't run the full 2003 package, and that there was still a brand new rear suspension and gearbox to be introduced at later races. Does anyone know if and when this will be introduced?

Also looking at the footage from Melbourne I couldn't tell if they were running with the 2003 aero package, as the 2003 areo package has bargeboards and I couldn't tell from the TV pictures if they were running with them or not? :confused:

[Logrence]

They switched back to the 2002 rear end during the Oz weekend because it was quicker...

[Sodemo]

Oh dear, that isn't good...

[Adam43]

I heard that they could well stick with that rear end for a bit too. Not a good sign with respect for rear tyre durability. Of course it may not be true.

[Damon]

It was the 2003 aero package. They took the barge boards of in a test at Valencia and the car was no slower so they dicided not to use them. As others have said though they are using the 2002 interim suspension layout - which isn't good. That said the team (and Frank in particular) do seem quite optomistic about the new parts due soon.

[Glen]

There were a number of significant aero differences between the launch car and the Melbourne one - lack of conventional bargeboards, high-rise periscope exhausts, and they also added some of the rear wheel fairing bodywork/flip-up that was cut down on the launch car.

I didn't know about the old suspension and transmission - seemed to work not too bad for Montoya...

[Logrence]

The worrying thing is that the new suspension and transmission isn't faster than the old setup - you'd expect that, wouldn't you - especially on a new car...

[avsfan733]

Its surprising the old one fit. Don't they have an entirely new car?

[Lee Janotta]

Well, the car seemed to make the tires last reasonably well in Melbourne, even on Montoya's car (he had pushed them _well_ beyond their lifespan when he finally spun).

The front wing still seems too conservative.

[neilap]

They seem to have chosen a really hard tire for Melbourne. If he had switched the tires may have taken a very long time to break in.

[Glen]

Montoya didn't even take his third set of tyres, so wear is clearly much improved. Last year several Michelin runners declined a switch of tyres at their stops, often just the fronts though.

[Damon]

I think the decision not to change was because the michelins are still having that "graining" period for 4 or 5 laps at the beginning of a stint. That said, you're right Glen, the FW25 clearly isn't eating the rear tyres in the same way the 24 did. JPM did the best part of two thirds of the race on the same set of tyres.

[esorniloc]

Didn't Montoya admit that the fact he didn't change, was partly the problem for the spin?
At the end of the race he looked slow, holding Kimi and even MS up??
Well if he can get 2nd place in a BAD car, then what will happen when/if THEY sort it out?

[Smokey 6 litre]

Originally posted by esorniloc
Didn't Montoya admit that the fact he didn't change, was partly the problem for the spin?

I dont recall that, all i can remember is Montoya saying "Sh!t happens". What happend to the Montoya who used to thank the team and sponsors even if he didn't finish, perhaps F1 has driven some of the 'american' out of him.

[Logrence]

Montoya came out and said the fact that he didn't want his tyres changed caused him the spin - will go and look see if I can find it...

[Glen]

Well yea - but the other side of his point was that the first set of tyres were so unpredictable that his third set could have been even worse than sticking with the second set.... if you see what I mean. Perhaps the simple truth is that the effort required to keep the FW25 at the front of the race was just a bit too much and some sort of error under pressure was almost inevitable. Like Montoya said - at the start of the weekend they thought they'd be doing well to score points, and at the end of Sunday they were upset not to have won. There must have been quite a lot of knife-edge driving going on and a little spin with no car damage was actually a pretty good outcome, all things considered.