The Williams Formula 1 team introduced a revised version of its front wing on day one of the second Barcelona test, adding slots gaps on the inner end of the third and fourth flaps.
This area is obviously causing Williams some problems with aerodynamic stall. When that happens it will affect the bargeboards and underfloor leading edge, causing aerodynamic instability.
The reason the slots are so short is that any vertical and longitudinal section cut through the wing outside of what is called ‘Y250 vortex’ there can be no more than five elements.
The first two elements are black and if you cut the red line on our annotated image through the wing, you get four elements. Cut it through the yellow line you get five elements, and cut through on the blue line you get five elements, so it’s fully legal.
The outboard end looks the same as the previous wing. It is adjustable so the team can move this part up and down, which is something I’m not really a fan of.
🚩 Red flag is out again! 🚩
It’s Williams new blood Nicholas Latifi this time, as his FW43 conks out going up the hill to Turn 9#F1 #F1Testing pic.twitter.com/oJRtxuPBt3
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 26, 2020
Williams’s running was interrupted late in the morning when its car ground to a halt with Nicholas Latifi at the wheel. It had completed 48 laps up to that point.
The car was retrieved using a lorry while the session was red-flagged.
