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The 2004 BMW-Williams F1 car... strange nose job
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| jp |
| quote: | WILLIAMS LAUNCH RADICAL FW26
Williams became the first team to launch their 2004 challenger at Valencia today - and it's turned a few heads.
The FW26 - unveiled by Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya - sports a revolutionary new front nose that is certain to cause a stir.
Last season's constructors' championship runners-up have gone for the radical approach with a car unlike any we've seen in recent years.
The team's chief designer Gavin Fisher said: "It will be immediately evident to onlookers that a high degree of innovative design has gone into the FW26."
"There has been a great deal of anticipation on our part about this new car.
"It has challenged us throughout its development and there is certainly a sense that today is a more significant launch day than in previous years."
The car has a shorter nose than its predecessor with the front wing mounted on what the team call 'tusks'.
Drivers Montoya and Schumacher are both impressed with the new machine and will drive it round the Spanish circuit later today.
Schumacher said: "I have tested some of the new elements of the FW26. And individually, they all have been a real step forward, whether the engine, the new gearbox, or all the other smaller but none the less significant components.
“So I am really fascinated to see how all of this works together, and it would be fair to say that my expectations are very high."
Montoya added: "We had a great deal of anticipation about last year's car, and it turned out to be justified anticipation.
“This season, there is an even greater degree of expectation about the potential of this car, and the great advance the team has made is to bring the whole validation process forward by a significant amount.
“I hope the car will be quick from the off, but now we have the benefit of a clear two month test programme in Spain before the first race."
The team have launched their car earlier than last year following their slow start to the 2003 season.
Sam Michael, the team's Chief Operations Engineer, said: "In 2003 it became evident that we suffered performance-wise as a consequence of launching our car relatively late on in the winter.
“Refining the car took some time, and as a consequence of this (as well as other factors), we didn't win a race until Monaco, seven races into the year.
“The reason we are here unveiling the FW26 in order to bring our test programme forward really doesn't need any more explaining.”
Team boss Frank Williams added: "Our ambition can be nothing other than winning most races, steal Ferrari's crown and add another championship title to the record.
"Having any less ambition at the start of the year would be wrong." |
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http://images.itv-f1.com/images/dow.../bmw04_1024.jpg
http://images.itv-f1.com/images/dow...bmw042_1024.jpg |
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| Romain |
weird nose, right
Hope this one is efficient enough to have a nice Ferrari/Williams fight... also hope McLaren won't be far, & the french team Renault of course ;) |
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| nchs09 |
HATE BMW WILLIAMS!!!!!!!!!!!!:whip: :whip: :whip: :whip:
but that is a cool looking nose, FINALLY a change on the current one. it sure must work if they are changing it :) |
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| Eddie N MIAMI |
| HUGE Montoya fan here, everything I've heard so far going into this season for Williams has me excited.WILLIAMS IN 2004 ,AND MCLAREN IN 2005:) .Go Montoya |
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| dj ZevZ |
They've gone to town on this baby. Any new design idea they could think of has been included, what a major step forward!!!!! Hope it works
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| tor8024 |
wow, and i thought the new McLaren had a strange nose..
hopefully it proves to be efficient |
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| TranceGeek |
| :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: |
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| zarathustra |
| Interesting. Along with McLaren's hard work, this season might actually be a competition. |
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| fcuk ® |
| Bloody Oath' it will be a competition this year stronger than ever as of the past few years, cannot wait for this season as a ferrari supporter i am i cannot see them taking the cake for this years season but im not worried cause i want to see what unleashes on the track in Melbourne. ;) |
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| fcuk ® |
| And by the way my predictions of this years season winners are McLaren, definately wont be easy for them but their car has something that BMW and Ferrari cannot drift away from. Montoya for McLaren in 2005 it will turn out to be a different ball game probably leading into catastrophe. Who knows? |
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| sykadelik |
| It may look strange, but it destroyed every car in testing in Valencia |
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| dj ZevZ |
Second day of testing and not only did Juan stay on top once again he shaved 2tenths off yesterday time
Times from (08.01.03)
1. J.P. Montoya Williams-BMW FW26 1'16"650 86 laps
2. M. Gene Williams-BMW FW25B 1'17"123 106 laps
3. F. Montagny Renault R23 1'17"878 76 laps
4. J. Trulli Renault R23 1'17"894 132 laps
5. R. Zonta Toyota TF103 1'17"974 106 laps
6. P. de la Rosa McLaren-Mercedes MP4/19 1'18"224 63 laps
7. F. Massa Ferrari F2003-GA 1'18"460 77 laps
8. O. Panis Toyota TF103 1'18"647 88 laps
9. L. Badoer Ferrari F2003-GA 1'18"684 74 laps
10. D. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes MP4/19 1'19"157 18 laps |
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