F1 tech review: Williams claws up from the back of the grid

Williams made a steady climb up the Formula 1 World Championship standings in 2023 to seventh, having finished last in the first year of this regulation phase.

Let’s take a look at the FW45’s finer details and how it was modified during the season in order to make that leap forward in the pecking order.

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Williams FW45 brake caliper

Williams were one of a handful of teams that opted to use tube-like fins on the surface of its front brake caliper in order to help reduce weight and improve cooling.

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Williams FW45 technical detail

A close up of the FW45’s front wing at the Australian Grand Prix shows how much wider the static inboard section of their wing was when compared with many of its rivals.

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Williams FW45 technical detail

A close up of the floor cutout and underfloor tab wing and skate used at the start of the season by Williams.

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Williams FW45 technical detail

It employed a conventional front wing endplate design and an S-shaped diveplane arrangement.

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Williams FW45 technical detail

A rear wing on the lower end of the downforce spectrum was used by Williams in Australia.

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Williams FW45 technical detail

Comparatively, it employed a high downforce rear wing in Monaco.

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Williams FW45 rear detail

A shot of the rear wing at the Spanish Grand Prix without the upper flap in place shows how it’s put together.

Williams FW45 Technical detail

A rear end shot of the FW45 in Spain shows that while the team chose a higher downforce rear wing configuration, it’s paired with just a single beam wing element. Also note the upwash swage line added to the lower half of the endplate’s outer face at the Australian Grand Prix.

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Williams FW45 technical detail

As mechanics prepare the car for the Austrian Grand Prix we’re offered a decent vantage point of the bib and the damper arrangement mounted between it and the chassis.

Photo by: Filip Cleeren

Williams FW45 technical detail

An overview of the floor’s edge, with the C-shaped forward cutout and the tapering cutout in the rear portion, ahead of the tab wing and underfloor skate.

Photo by: Matt Kew

Williams FW45 technical detail

A close up of the lower downforce rear wing solution employed at the British Grand Prix.

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Williams FW45 rear detail

An even lower downforce variant was chosen for the Belgian Grand Prix.

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Williams Racing FW45 technical detail

A look at the rear brake assembly on the FW45 without the outer drum in place shows how the team have also employed a disc fairing here, as it has at the front of the car.

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Williams FW45 technical detail

A top-down overview of the front wing with the newer specification flap distribution that was introduced at the British Grand Prix. In this specification the moveable section is much wider, resulting in a narrower static section alongside the nose.

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Williams Racing FW45 technical detail

Williams’ low downforce offering for the Italian Grand Prix, along with a single beam wing element, which was also trimmed to suit the circuit's demands.

Photo by: Filip Cleeren

Williams FW45 technical detail

A close up of the floor’s leading edge and the floor fences on the FW45.

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Williams FW45 detail

Another view of this region, albeit this time from the side, which gives more of an overview of the outer fence.

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Williams FW45 detail

Williams used a higher downforce rear wing configuration in Qatar, in combination with a single element beam wing, which has a notably deep profile. Also note the fluted design of the upper corner of their diffuser, a feature which Red Bull applied to the RB19 during 2023.

Here’s the list of the components that Williams listed as having changed in the car presentation document prior to each race.