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Technical
TECH ANALYSIS: The gains Williams are targeting with the new FW47
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The Williams FW47 appears to be a straightforward evolution of its predecessor. Visually, the most notable change is to the sidepod shape in profile, with a more progressive, less abrupt ramp-down towards the rear.
The contours around the underside at the front of the pod are significantly different too, forming a more defined channel along the floor edge for the undercut to flow into. The floor edges themselves are completely re-profiled, with a more aggressive looking set of vortex generators and an additional one ahead of the rear wheel.
FIRST LOOK: Williams unveil new 2025 car as FW47 breaks cover at Silverstone
The airflow around this area – as it is channelled towards the gap between the rear wheel and diffuser – will be significantly different on the FW47 to that of last year’s car as Williams has switched to a pushrod layout for its rear suspension, following the same change made by Mercedes last year.
In 2024 Williams used the ‘23 Mercedes gearbox, which dictated the pullrod layout. In taking the ‘2025 Mercedes gearbox for the FW47, they were obliged to make the same layout switch Mercedes did last year.
The Williams FW47 (on the right) features a less abrupt ramp-down towards the rear than the FW46 (on the left)
The front suspension is largely unchanged, still pushrod in layout (like Mercedes, unlike Red Bull and McLaren). The pushrod layout allows a less compromised mechanical installation for a given weight, but in theory is less aerodynamically friendly at the front.
By contrast, at the rear the switch to pushrod should be aerodynamically useful, moving the internal rockers up and clearing more airflow-enhancing volume around the diffuser wall just where it is needed.
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The external bodywork changes will just be the outward manifestations of a totally re-worked underfloor geometry, which is always at the core of the teams’ search for more performance in this ground effect regulation set. The team have targeted better high-speed downforce and a wider operating window of balance between low and high-speed corners.
Alex Albon reported last year that the updated version of the FW46 was generally a trickier drive at high speeds, even though it was ultimately quicker than the original car. The FW47 will be seeking to tame the balance while giving a better spread of downforce, possibly even at the expense of the peak numbers.
Williams will be hoping that the FW47 offers more balance than its predecessor
Before the FIA issued its Tech Directive on front wing flexibility a couple of weeks ago, Williams had already gone a long way towards introducing a more aero-flexible front wing for this car, following the lead of McLaren and Mercedes last year.
It has proceeded with this wing and it will be on the car for the first eight races (at which the ’24 interpretation is still valid). “All the teams will be doing what they can with that,” says Team Principal James Vowles, “but some will be more advanced than others. I don’t think we’re market leaders on that. But the rule change [from the Spanish GP onwards] doesn’t trouble us and will probably have a more profound effect on others.”
READ MORE: Sainz reveals what has 'most impressed' him about Williams so far
In summarising the team’s prospects, Vowles said: “You're going to see us progress forwards but what I've always said is we've put our focus into 2026, '27 and '28. We're developing elements that come online as a result of that. We have this year huge infrastructure changes that have come online.
“We were 700 people, now over 1,050 today and we're not finished yet. There's a lot more in the pipeline. That's all happening in the background. What I want to make sure that we're doing is not just the short-term, little bit of gain at the cost of the long term.
“We're here to make sure we're back to winning championships, to do that it will take a little bit more time but that's the investment we're doing. But watch our pathway, this should be a good one this year.”
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