Williams says 2015 Formula 1 car nose rule change has big effect
Williams has admitted that Formula 1's new nose regulations for 2015 had a bigger effect than expected on the design of its new FW37 contender

The team's new car - revealed on the front cover of AUTOSPORT's sister title F1 Racing - follows on from the FW36 that turned Williams back into a frontrunner last year.
The nose design is one of the most obvious differences from the 2014 machine, and Williams chief technical officer Pat Symonds said the changes to the regulations governing the front of the cars played a big part in the design process.
"The change in regulations offered us a slight headache," he said.
"The new front bulkhead and nose geometry had much more of an impact than we had initially anticipated and the effect on the aero was profound.
"Although the aerodynamics of the [2014] car were impressive there is always room for improvement, particularly as we handle the new 2015 nose regulations.
"The team have worked hard on pulling back the deficit these regulations have made for us."
Symonds added that while last year's car was very competitive in the hands of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas, Williams has worked hard to identify its areas of weakness and improve on them for 2015.

"The notion for the FW37 was to look closely at the FW36 and its performances," he said.
"We then went about recognising what had worked well and identifying and resolving the areas that we felt needed to be improved.
"We felt we came up against design barriers in the FW36 and so took the opportunity to remove those barriers for the benefit of the performance.
"The FW36 carried a reasonable amount of ballast, so we were able to make alterations to the design for added performance without the fear of adding excessive mass."
2014 DEVELOPMENT PUSH
Williams's strong form last year meant that the team continued developing the 2014 car until late in the season, but Symonds is adamant that it will not fall behind at the start of this season as a result.
"The desire to beat Ferrari to third place in the constructors' championship in 2014 meant we pushed our development through to late autumn," he said.
"But the size of the team is now at a point where it was able to sustain this development while still working on the FW37."
Team principal Frank Williams stated that the main aim for this year is simply for the team to keep moving up the grid.
"After a very strong first year with Mercedes engines we are looking to further develop the relationship as we look for more podiums in 2015," said Williams.
"The team had a fantastic season last year, we are aiming to replicate this development over the winter and to start the 2015 season in a strong position.
"We have an enormously talented group of people here at Williams who produced a great turnaround in fortunes in 2014 and everybody has worked tirelessly to continue that climb up the grid."

Ask Gary Anderson: Ferrari's 2015 prospects
Haas Formula 1 squad buys Marussia factory but not the team

Latest news
Why Piastri's attempt to join McLaren carries implications of risk
After the 2006 Formula 1 British GP, Lewis Hamilton's father Anthony was a frustrated man, despite his son - at the time a star in GP2 - having just scored a memorable double win in that weekend's feature and sprint events.
Alpine: Ocon has what it takes to lead the F1 team in 2023
Alpine Formula 1 boss Otmar Szafnauer believes that Esteban Ocon has what it takes to lead the team following Fernando Alonso’s departure at the end of this season.
McLaren explains gaps between F1 qualifying and race pace
McLaren Formula 1 team boss Andreas Seidl has explained that being able to mask the car's lack of downforce in qualifying is behind the large discrepancy to its race pace.
Perez: DNFs have been "killing" my F1 season so far
Sergio Perez still believes “everything is open” in the Formula 1 title battles after the summer break despite some DNFs “killing” his season so far.
Why few could blame Leclerc for following the example of Hamilton’s exit bombshell
OPINION: Ferrari's numerous strategy blunders, as well as some of his own mistakes, have cost Charles Leclerc dearly in the 2022 Formula 1 title battle in the first half of the season. Though he is locked into a deal with Ferrari, few could blame Leclerc if he ultimately wanted to look elsewhere - just as Lewis Hamilton did with McLaren 10 years prior
The other McLaren exile hoping to follow Perez's path to a top F1 seat
After being ditched by McLaren earlier in his F1 career Sergio Perez fought his way back into a seat with a leading team. BEN EDWARDS thinks the same could be happening to another member of the current grid
How studying Schumacher helped make Coulthard a McLaren F1 mainstay
Winner of 13 grands prix including Monaco and survivor of a life-changing plane crash, David Coulthard could be forgiven for having eased into a quiet retirement – but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, in fact he’s busier than ever, running an award-winning media company and championing diversity in motor racing. Not bad for someone who, by his own admission, wasn’t quite the fastest driver of his generation…
Could F1 move to a future beyond carbonfibre?
Formula 1 has ambitious goals for improving its carbon footprint, but could this include banishing its favoured composite material? PAT SYMONDS considers the alternatives to carbonfibre and what use, if any, those materials have in a Formula 1 setting
How Russell has proven he deserves to be Hamilton's Mercedes heir
He’s fast, he’s smart, and he’s already shown he’s not going to let Max Verstappen intimidate him. George Russell won’t say it, but LUKE SMITH says he’s ready to take the lead at Mercedes when Lewis Hamilton moves on to a quieter life. And – whisper it – Mercedes and Lewis are starting to think so too
The traits that fuelled Alonso's unexpected Aston Martin move
Fernando Alonso’s bombshell switch to Aston Martin sent shockwaves through Formula 1, not least at Alpine that finds itself tangled in a contract standoff with Oscar Piastri. Not shy of a bold career move and with a CV punctuated by them, there were numerous hints that trouble was brewing
The elements Ferrari must resolve to first save face, then win championships
OPINION: Ferrari's Formula 1 title hopes look all but over after another strategic blunder in last week's Hungarian Grand Prix denied Charles Leclerc the chance to fight for victory, while handing it to chief rival Max Verstappen. The Scuderia now faces intense scrutiny over what it must now do to finally become a genuine factor in championship battles
The clues about Hamilton’s F1 retirement plans revealed after Vettel’s decision
OPINION: Sebastian Vettel is set to leave Formula 1 at the end of 2022 and will, rather shockingly, be replaced by Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin. But what about the final chapter of the other driver that defined the post-Michael Schumacher era? In Hungary, Lewis Hamilton spoke about his future in the context of Vettel’s upcoming departure, which offered clues on how long it will last