On the one hand, Williams’ revisions in practice and qualifying were very promising – Alex Albon brought the team back into Q3.

Boss James Vowles explained: “We are in a situation where this update is delivering good results and we can get the car back into that Q3 position in a very tight midfield.

“This was also reflected in a long run on Friday, which was again positive. We had distanced ourselves from the midfield and at times were even in a situation where our long run was outperforming Ferrari, which is a completely different situation to the start of the season.”

However, it all came crashing down on Saturday night at Zandvoort when Williams discovered that an error in their own measurements had led to them racing with a new floor that did not comply with regulations.

The unspecified problem that had resulted in the floorboard being too wide was easily fixed and the improvements were implemented in the race with a few minor changes. However, with both cars starting at the back of the field (partly due to Logan Sargeant’s practice crash), the weekend was effectively a total write-off.

Although the missed opportunity to score points is frustrating, the team is excited to see if the promise shown in Zandvoort can be continued in the next races.

So here’s an overview of the changes to the Williams, which ultimately amount to a two-pronged attack of improved aerodynamic surfaces and weight-saving revisions.

Comparison of the sidepods and floor of the Williams FW46

Photo by: Uncredited

The most noticeable change at Williams is the changed approach to sidepod design.

The team moves from an underbite inlet to an overbite extension panel and an underbite inlet.

This follows the example of many competitors who have already switched to this technology either at the beginning or during the season in order to gain some aerodynamic freedom while maintaining the required cooling performance.

Regarding the latter, the FW46 still features sizeable intakes under the new, higher upper lip of the sidepod.

The bodywork changes also resulted in a less aggressive upper gutter and there is also a much larger undercut.

This runs rearward and around the flank of the sidepod, where the raised beltline reveals the narrower underbody, which has also been re-profiled, albeit with a similar but ultimately more aggressive variation of the same geometry.

In addition to these changes, the bottom edge and the bottom wing were also modified, with the most visually striking change occurring in the raised area of ​​the edge wing.

This section is now more strongly cranked, while the dividing planks are much more pronounced and deeper than their predecessors.

Details about the airbox of the Williams FW46

Photo by: Uncredited

The team also undertook a weight reduction program, focusing on the roll bar as a tool to achieve its goals.

The changed shape of the airbox is clearly visible, and the spars in it also have a different arrangement.

While many of these changes clearly have an impact on aerodynamics, Williams also focused on saving weight with this upgrade.

Pat Fry, technical director, explained: “There are some tiny detail changes to the aerodynamic shape around the covers and the ducting to the central radiator, but this is all just to take weight out of the car.

“It’s a lot lighter, which is good. But we’re still a little overweight. We’ll have some updates later in the year that will hopefully bring us right to the weight limit.”