A first day that lived up to the Williams clan’s expectations

The Williams-Toyota FW31, the 2009 single-seater of the team, made its on-track debut today at the Algarve Motor Park circuit in the south of Portugal. It was the first testing session for the FW31, which had been unveiled just a few hours earlier on the same track.

After completing 17 laps this morning, Williams test driver Nico Hülkenberg is satisfied with the initial progress, as are the members of the Grove team.

The technical director, Sam Michael, stated: « This morning, the track was very wet, but the weather did not affect us because our goal was to introduce the car on the track, check all the working systems, and ensure that the mechanical parts are properly in place. Everything proved to be correct. »

It would be good now to be able to do tests on a dry track. The weather should allow it later in the week.

« As for first impressions, the car runs well. »

The Williams-Toyota FW31 underwent significant changes compared to the 2008 version due to the evolution of technical and sporting regulations. The new sporting regulations aim to increase reliability by further reducing costs, while the changes to the technical regulations have three objectives: reducing the role of aerodynamics, increasing overtaking opportunities, and impacting lap times.

« Aerodynamics is likely to be key in the first two-thirds of the upcoming season. Finding the best weight distribution to optimize tire performance will also be one of our top priorities in 2009. Finally, the KERS will also contribute to a rise in performance, » confirmed Michael.

The introduction of Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) in 2009 is not mandatory but would allow teams to gain a competitive advantage.

Nico Hülkenberg was the first driver to test the new FW31. He explains this experience: « I felt comfortable in the new car. We didn’t have any technical problems, which is important. »

Of course, everyone wants to know the impact of the new regulations on the race car compared to the FW30. In truth, I don’t really know what to say after only a few laps. I was discovering the track, which was very wet today. So I don’t have a basis for comparison, whereas if we were in Jerez or Barcelona on a dry track, I could have been more precise.

As for the prospects for 2009, Frank Williams stated: It will be a very interesting year. The new aero rules lead to a different approach concerning the car in a number of areas. However, in Melbourne, I expect it to be the same ones on the first two rows. More importantly, I hope that Williams will have made a big step with the FW31.