Finally a central support pillar on the Williams
Last year’s Williams FW36 did not sport any central support pillar. Neither did its 2015 replacement during the first two pre-season tests. But the Grove-based team eventually introduced a reversed Y-shaped mounting pillar on its new challenger.
Starting from the exhaust, the structure has two feet that merge into a single, thin pillar supporting the main plane. The assembly sits right before the rear wing and curls to reach its top section. Fitted with the DRS mechanism, the “swan neck” design is actually responsible for the opening of the upper flap.
Williams seems to have found a way to compensate the inherent disruption coming off any central support pillar. This also means that the rear wing’s endplates, which are structurally designed to take on a support role, can be thinner and shaped with more flexibility and freedom.
