What is the difference?

[zetta]

According to this article: www.formula1.com/news/article/130.html Williams is working hard in their aerodynamics, and will have new bodywork for Sepang and a new undertray for Interlagos. Can somebody explain what the difference is between launching a new car at the beginning of the season and then modifying it radically during the season, and starting the season with a heavily modified "last year's" car and then introducing a new one in the middle of the season (like Ferrari and McLaren). Is it not the same thing? And if not, why not?

[Damon]

Williams, unlike Mclaren and Ferrari, have produced an entirely new car. In other words the chassis is entirely new. Mclaren still have last years basic tub but little else is the same (Ferrari have an almost identical car to the one that raced in Suzuka with an updated engine, gearbox etc.)

[Smokey 6 litre]

All teams will modify their cars during the season, its just that Willaims have a whole new car and are very worried about its speed therefore need to radically modify it.

[Glen]

The difference, at least in this example, is fundamental. The FW25 is a totally new concept, rather than a development of the FW24. That means that everything was up for grabs and the entire shape and structure of the car has been re-thought. It is shorter, lighter, has a different engine and transmission - I wish I knew enough of the details to tell!

The McLaren, as far as I know, is just about as radical a development of the car as could be imagined - but it is still the same car underneath, kind of. The chassis is the same, the basic dimensions are the same... but they have re-worked loads of stuff, including engine, transmission, suspension.

[golem]

But if you mean tactic wise, the differance appears to be fairly pronounced in cars but also, very expensive. At Williams they worked over the winter on one car, but it was a more rushed effort and they can't respond to other designs. Still, only one real development goes on.

Meanwhile, the others are testing parts more thoroughly in one car and while testing the hybrids they also spend time developing the new car. So the work is more complicated but ultimately those two have far more testing time to make sure the new chasis is responsive, a real advance etc etc. They have less chance of a dud because at each stage of design they've been able to think harder and simulate and test longer.

It's mostly a time and testing thing since they come back from the new year. The dev team spend longer on each chassis and therfore they hope it has higher limits.

The same could be achieved by say, starting on next years car now, and having THAT ready by August or something and testing it later in the year, then trying it out on only USA and Suzuka, and using the off season to do some tweaking in simulations and then refine it over winter testing. But introducing it early gives people more time to analyse and try themselves. So later than the majority is usually better, and because of the gentlemans holiday agreement, it also means trying to start testing it earlier means there's a big break in the program which is bad for efficiency. So, they start design before the break but don't start doing major testing until afterwards I guess.

Again, this is all guesswork but I think it's mostly to do with the testing ban / holiday agreement or whatever it is, and the need for LONG development now to make sure each chassis is damn good.

[Champ69]

My view is that it is always better to have a new car for the beginning of each season. This way you can make sure your car has the most advanced design and technology possible.

Williams are currently taking the traditional approach by bringing out a new car and developing it as much as they can through out the year and just bin the old car.

Ferrari are repeating their 2002 approach, that is they knew their 2001 car would still be competitive with the other teams 2002 cars so they raced their 2001 car and developed the F2002 in private with the aim of improving reliability. their tactic worked.

Mclaren had massive internal problems at the end of 2002, that is they are developing a brand new engine and gearbox for the 2003 season – their 2002 engine was a dud. So they spend a great deal of time and money developing the 2002 car with the hope of picking up some points early in the season before they introduced their 2003 monster.

1. The advantage that williams have is that they will soon know how their car works very well (eg..how to set up the car) and McLaren and Ferrai will still be learning theirs when they start to race them later this year.
2. Testing two models of car (F2002 & F2003) is very expensive and by focusing on the F2002 ferrari are wasting time that they could be developing the F2003.
3. I would think that teams would get more information from Testing their car at a test day and racing that same car at the races.
4. The McLaren should be a super car as the 2002 chassis was a good design and the 2003 chassis will be an advancement of this, The engine will be a lot better (they hired the guy that designed the BMW engine) and they hired the guy that designed the ferrari gearbox so the gearbox should be sweet.

[Dutton]

One thing with the the "F2002" I read, somewhere, I forget where, just during an interview, Brawn said the car they used in Australia was dramatically different to that which raced in Suzuka.

[Inigo Montoya]

Originally posted by Champ69
2. Testing two models of car (F2002 & F2003) is very expensive and by focusing on the F2002 ferrari are wasting time that they could be developing the F2003.

Lets not forget that the F2003GA has been in development since about 3/4 of the way through last season - when they effectively had the both championships sown up.

When it is raced, it will be very very fast, and very reliable - you'll see.

and they hired the guy that designed the ferrari gearbox so the gearbox should be sweet.

Huh? Who left Ferrari to join McLaren?

[Bononi]

Originally posted by Dutton
One thing with the the "F2002" I read, somewhere, I forget where, just during an interview, Brawn said the car they used in Australia was dramatically different to that which raced in Suzuka.

This proves the gainings from efforts of a continued development during the season. That's one more explanation why the ferrari is damn good team...

[Lee Janotta]

The one in Suzuka had all it's parts still attached at the end of the race, and won. That's probably the biggest difference!

[GTRMagic]

There was something not quite right in team Red on the weekend, maybe Schuey wasnt feeling himself, but the dominance in zero miles escaped him... maybe last year's car isnt as good as the new cars from the others, or indeed the development version isnt

Didnt they write somewhere that the 2003GA was slower than the 2002 car??

[golem]

Well... it is named after a (very important) dead guy so this wouldn't surprise me...

[Champ69]

The gearbox designer, let me go find my mags.......yes John Sutton left Ferrari for McLaren.

[Inigo Montoya]

Thanks for the info Champ69!