WILIAMS FW07D
Williams originally designed the 6-wheel FW07D to make the most out of ground effect aerodynamics, which employed skirts down the sides of the cars, touching the ground, to create a vacuum under the car at speed and generate enormous grip in the corners.
With a six-wheeled chassis front wheel-width tyres could be used at the rear, allowing the skirts to be extended along the full length of the car, creating even more grip.
Williams found an unexpected feature of the six-wheeled design. In wet conditions slick tyres could be used on the rearmost axle because the road those wheels were running on was swept sufficiently clear of water by the tyres in front.
Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg and test driver Jonathan Palmer tested the car with promising results. However, the FIA decided to ban cars with more than four wheels before the FW07D made its debut in Grand Prix racing.
photo:WRI2 & Williams
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Williams originally designed the 6-wheel FW07D to make the most out of ground effect aerodynamics, which employed skirts down the sides of the cars, touching the ground, to create a vacuum under the car at speed and generate enormous grip in the corners.
With a six-wheeled chassis front wheel-width tyres could be used at the rear, allowing the skirts to be extended along the full length of the car, creating even more grip.
Williams found an unexpected feature of the six-wheeled design. In wet conditions slick tyres could be used on the rearmost axle because the road those wheels were running on was swept sufficiently clear of water by the tyres in front.
Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg and test driver Jonathan Palmer tested the car with promising results. However, the FIA decided to ban cars with more than four wheels before the FW07D made its debut in Grand Prix racing.
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photo:WRI2 & Williams