Williams presents the FW35

It was this morning, in the pit lane of the Circuit de Catalunya, not far from Barcelona, that the Williams FW35 was presented, which will be raced on the circuits in 2013. Just a few minutes before the start of the second week of private testing, photographers gathered to snap shots of the new car.

Like many of its peers, the FW35 has a striking family resemblance to its predecessor—both in its design, due to stable regulations, and its livery. Once again, rhinoplasty was in order over the winter, thanks to the permission for a cover over the broken nose sported by the FW34. This has resulted in a very high nose, with pylons stretched in length that closely resemble those of the new Ferrari F138.

Like the majority of its rivals, the new Williams has kept a push-rod front suspension to avoid changes to the chassis. The exhaust outlets appear new, and the entire rear section seems slightly more compact, all aimed at optimizing the airflow towards the diffuser. The rest is just details and will likely evolve by mid-March and the Australian Grand Prix.

Sir Frank Williams, the founder of the eponymous team, highlights the work done during the break: « A group of talented people with good imagination and a lot of courage worked together to build the FW35. We will have to wait for Australia to really see what we have, but we believe it is a step forward from our last year’s car, which was also a very competitive vehicle. »

Its Technical Director, Mike Coughlan, sees in this new car a very fine evolution of the 2012 single-seater: « Given the regulatory stability, I am pleased with the progress we have been able to make with this car. It is a better, more refined Formula 1 than the FW34 and I think that every person involved in the project can be proud of their work. »

Pastor Maldonado extends his contract with Williams and aims to work on his consistency: « Starting my third season with Williams is very important for me as well as for the team. We have worked hard to develop the car and improve its performance. Last year, we won a race and we were competitive, but this season, we need to be even more so, which I believe is possible. Consistency will be our goal to close the gap with the teams ahead of us. »

Promoted to the rank of main driver, Valtteri Bottas can only be happy to look forward to what’s next: « It’s great to be promoted to race driver by Williams this season. It’s a big step and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve trained a lot, talked with my engineers, and worked in the simulator; so I feel ready. We know we’ve improved our car compared to last season, but I’m eager to compare it on the track. »

Susie Wolff, Williams development driver with an extended role, is very happy to have been the first to drive the FW35 during straight-line testing: « I am very proud and excited to have strengthened my role with Williams this year. It has been a studious start for me as we awaited the arrival of the FW35, but I hold Mike Coughlan and his team in high regard and they have done a fantastic job. Being the first to take the wheel of the FW35 at Idiada was a real honor. It’s a special feeling to drive the car for the first time and successfully complete its first kilometers in front of a large part of the team that has put so much effort into its development. »

What can the English team hope for this year? Williams has been at the top numerous times over the last thirty years, Frank Williams mentions. It’s the nature of the sport to have ups and downs, but when we are in a downturn, we always come back into the fight. I hope that with the team currently in place, our new FW35, the combined talents of Pastor, Valtteri, and Susie, and the renewed support from our partners, we will be in a position to challenge the best.