Formula One news

'FW28' on road to 2006 debut

Sam Michael

Williams' new Cosworth-powered 'FW28' design for 2006 will debut in late January or very early February, Sam Michael has revealed. The struggling Grove based team, which failed to win a race in its last year with BMW, is scheduled to return to the test track on November 29, with a modified 2005 car at Barcelona and an early V8 engine. "We have a busy winter test schedule," Australia's Michael, the technical director, told the Sydney Morning Herald 'paper. Williams will attack 2006 with a new engine, a new gearbox, and new Bridgestone tyres.

Sam downplayed suggestions that private British company Cosworth will not be able to keep up with the carmaker-led pace of Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes, Renault, Toyota and Honda.

He said the marque is renowned for its V8 expertise. "So Cosworth should be in a good position for the start of next year," Sam Michael insisted, "and then it will depend on what they can bring to its development programme compared to the big manufacturers. Don't underestimate Cosworth's motivation. It's a strong and determined company that has taken a lot of flak, and 2006 is its opportunity to get back at the top."

Michael explained that Cosworth 'wants to win'. He added: "If they didn't have that attitude, we wouldn't have gone with them."

The Australian, 32, also reported that Williams' 'FW28' is now being aerodynamically tweaked in both wind tunnels, 'after a very long commissioning period.' Williams earlier blamed downforce problems on improperly calibrated tunnels.

Michael hinted that the 2006 car might feature 'quite a few' new ideas, and some radical.

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