Williams pulls the wraps off the FW31

Another Formula One car which was unraveled at Portiamo along with the Renault car was the Williams-Toyota FW31. The team's test driver, Nico Hulkenberg, was the first person to get his hands on the car and put it through its paces at the Algrave circuit. The heavy downpour on the track meant Hulkenberg couldn't really push it hard to get a clear picture of the car's capabilities, but the differences between it and last year's car were clear right off the bat.

The Williams-Toyota FW31 is the first car designed all-new from the ground-up in almost 30 years, compelled by a dramatic change in Sporting and Technical Regulations. The changes in the aerodynamic regulations have led to the most significant visual changes in this year's car. The front wing end plate is redesigned and takes into account the interaction of the air flowing over slick tyres, which have been re-introduced into Formula One racing from this season on. The team has also had to squeeze in a small barge board in place of the large ones they had till last season. Even the engine cover has lost its traditional chimneys and louvers which were meant for cooling, and therefore the exhausts have had to have a higher and wider exit at the rear.

Williams hasn't disclosed any specifications about the engine they'll be running this year. But rest assured that with the rule to make the engines last for at least 3 races, they'll be adopting policies similar to the other teams like reducing the engine redline and opting for tougher construction materials. And like every other team, Williams too has opted for the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), which charges itself under braking and gives the driver close to an extra 80 horsepower boost at the press of a button. But unlike the other teams, Williams is the only team which chose to use a mechanical system which stores recovered braking energy using a flywheel instead of an electrical system which uses batteries for the same.

Williams test driver, Hulkenberg was rather pleased with the new car and confirmed that every on-board system was working as it was designed to. However, the current Williams drivers, Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima haven't yet got their hands on the car and will join Hulkenberg in actively testing the new car.