F1 News: Williams Might Have Broken The Latest Flexi Bodywork Rule By A "Little Bit"

The floor of the FW45 demands some attention but the wings are good to go.

With the FIA clamping down on teams gaining advantage out of flexible bodywork trickery through TD018, Williams’ Head of Vehicle Performance Dave Robson believes that the team will steer clear of the checks. But, he did mention the FW45's floor required a bit of attention and that has raised a few eyebrows. 

It was recently reported that flexible bodywork was yielding significant gains for teams whose names have not been revealed yet. Despite FIA's load-bearing tests, the respective teams managed to get away with the trickery.

Article 3.2.2 of the Technical Regulations states that “all aerodynamic components or bodywork influencing the car’s aerodynamic performance must be rigidly secured and immobile with respect to their frame of reference.” 

The governing body issued Technical Directive TD018, which will come into effect in Singapore. The directive specifically outlines what is no longer permitted, so teams get a detailed idea of the legalities involved. 

While no names have come to the forefront, Robson has been confident that the wings on the Williams F1 car have not flouted the rules. But, there seems to be a catch with the car's floor. 

When asked how the TD could affect the order on the grid, he told Planet F1:

“I genuinely don’t know.

"I think the way the TDs are written, they’re clearly aimed at quite specific things that the FIA have seen so they must be affecting some people.

"I think on the whole we don’t think it affects us very much, little bit we need to do on our floors, but think the wing side of things is not a big deal.

"So yeah, hopefully, it will slow some people down."

While Robson hoped that the FIA's TD could slow some cars down, he did not reveal the specific changes that need to be made to the FW45's floor, to make it less flexible. 

The Williams F1 team has been steered single-handedly by Alex Albon, who has scored 21 points throughout the season and put the team in the 7th place in the constructors' championship.