Williams taps into Red Bull and Lotus to strengthen its aero department
Aerodynamics was Williams' Achilles' heel during the 2013 season. To address this, the team decided to hire engineers from Red Bull and Lotus.
It will have been a catastrophic season for Williams, with only five points scored throughout the entire season. It quickly became apparent that the car designed in Grove was suffering from serious aerodynamic shortcomings. It was therefore essential to strengthen the team in this area.
Rather than replacing their aerodynamics director, Jason Somerville, Claire Williams and her father have decided to bring in two additional deputies. Thus, Dave Wheater has decided to join the long list of departures from Lotus and will now take charge of aerodynamic performance. The aerodynamics department at Red Bull also faces a new departure as, after Peter Prodromou’s announced move to McLaren, Shaun Whitehead is leaving Milton Keynes. He will now be in charge of the aerodynamics process.
Pat Symonds, the new technical director, stated: “These two appointments demonstrate our commitment to improving the aerodynamic development process while focusing on applying this development into true on-track performance. Dave and Shaun will bring a lot of experience to our team, and I welcome them to Grove. I expect them to make a significant contribution to our regained competitiveness, which we are all working very hard on. With Dave and Shaun among us, under Jason’s leadership, we are well-positioned to improve in this important area and support the development of the FW36 during what promises to be an exciting year for the sport in 2014.”
With such late arrivals, the two men will have little impact on the initial development phase since the 2014 car is almost definitively set to allow for January testing. However, they will be a key component in ensuring the crucial development during the season.
With the participation of www.Racingbusiness.fr
