Williams displaying really slim hips on 2015 F1 challenger

[John S]

..........Honey I shrunk the back of the car!         



There's no vertical rear wing pillar, instead a low beamwing above the diffuser supports the it via the gearbox



Images courtesy Craig Scarborough @scarbsf1, today.

[Dare]

Ok John,what did you do with the rest of the car?
Makes it look ugly doesn't it?

[F1fanaticBD]

Hips don't lie John

I think they went pretty radical by exposing the exhaust quiet a bit. Few pictures of other's hip and you will be able to see the difference.

[Scott]

I like it.   

[J.Clark]

If the car is quick, as testing progresses, someone will undoubtedly complain about it breaking some rule.

[F1fanaticBD]

That is exactly what came in my mind, but I wonder does it in the regulation says that your exhaust have to be covered? They were very precise about the outlet position, because of Red Bull advantage for the last 5 years, but they is nothing that says it have to be covered. I am looking forward to some regulation battles 

[Alianora La Canta]

There are rules concerning the covering of exhausts with bodywork:

Article 5.8 of the Technical Regulations requires the exit to not be obstructed by bodywork (section 4 part a) nor any other part of the last 15 cm of tailpipe (section 5 part a). Any sheathing cannot be more than 3 cm thick or otherwise extend more than 3 cm beyond the outer wall of the exhaust (section 5 part b), nor extend more than 60 cm past the end of the exhaust (section 5 part c).

Covering the exhaust appears not to be banned, but it is restricted. Back in 2013, Article 3.8.5 allows, among its exemptions to bodywork being complete, "apertures" to be made for exhaust exits. The rule was changed in 2014 to only allow suspension members and driveshafts. So although cars may now have some bodywork near the exhausts, the all-enveloping solutions permitted and practically mandated back in 2013 are now illegal.

(Had to laugh; the latest version of the 2015 Technical Regulations has the header "1999 FORMULA ONE TECHNICAL REGULATIONS - 2015 FORMULA ONE TECHNICAL REGULATIONS". Does this mean Marussia could enter an original BAR if they felt like it and really wanted to make themselves feel better about how good their self-designed cars are?)

[Jericoke]

Since testing sessions do not require 'legal' cars it's possible that Williams' test might require access to the exhaust system.

I do hope that they're just pushing the rules though.