AT&T Williams F1

Monaco maybe the most glamourous venue on the calendar but, for the teams, it's one of the most challenging set-up wise. It's tight and twisty streets demand an unique aero package to cater for the various technical challenges that the circuit throws up, which Jon Tomlinson, Chief Aerodynamicist at Williams F1, explains:

All street circuits offer a different challenge to the drivers and engineers, but Monte Carlo takes us to the extreme. The track is dominated by slow speed corners and is unbelievably tight and twisty, with an undulating track surface and unyielding barriers waiting to punish the drivers for the smallest error. It is incredible to think that, come Sunday afternoon, twenty Formula One cars, all capable of speeds in excess of 300kph, will be racing around a circuit of this nature.

Aerodynamically, Monaco places a premium on maximising the downforce level of the car, what we will run will be the highest level we will race with all season. A high downforce package not only helps to improve grip through the corners, but is also a significant factor in improving the performance of the car under braking and traction, two areas which are vital to a good lap time around Monte Carlo.  Due to the twisty nature of the track, and the lack of any significant straights, drag is less important than at any other track and so the aerodynamic configuration of the car is tailored for this. It is therefore possible for the car to be aerodynamically less efficient than normal, with downforce being key even at the expense of drag.  

For this weekend, a new aero package has been developed to suit these requirements, containing upgrades specific to this type of track. These upgrades were developed in our wind tunnel, and were successfully track tested last week at Paul Ricard.

Monte Carlo can also be hard on the brakes, primarily due to the lack of time between corners to allow the brakes to be cooled. A solution is, therefore, required to produce the sufficient amount of brake cooling to allow them to endure the race distance, but without compromising the level of downforce available.

Due to its history and glamorous nature, Monaco always prompts high drama and the team will be watching in anticipation of a good result. In the aero department, we will all be hoping that the aerodynamic developments we’ve been working on for this race improve our competitiveness and that a good result can be achieved on Sunday.