Williams boss James Vowles has defended the FW45's floor after images that emerged following the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix sparked comparisons with rivals. Photographs were taken of the underside of the car following Logan Sargeant's exit from Free Practice 3, leading to the pictures drawing plenty of reaction amongst fans online. In comparison to the likes of Red Bull and Mercedes – whose floors were exposed in Monaco due to their cars being lifted by crane from the track after incidents – many fans seemed to suggest that the Williams' floor appeared far more simplistic than the intricate designs of the other teams. However, Vowles believes that the angle that the pictures were taken from is slightly deceptive.
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The difference in floor complexity between the Red Bull and Williams is eye opening pic.twitter.com/GPDrnMF1uC — Dan - EngineMode11 (@EngineMode11) June 3, 2023
Vowles on Williams' floor
"There were photos taken of our floor this weekend after Logan went off in FP3 and obviously those have been compared to photography taken of our competitors just a few weeks ago," Vowles explained in a video released by Williams. "I think one thing to point out is that it is a little bit deceptive. "What happened here is it's very focused on that rear diffuser ramp, unlike the other photos that perhaps focus more on the front of the floor and the mid-floor where you can actually, within the regulations, add more detail."
Still 'lacking detail'
Despite this, Vowles acknowledges that the Williams floor does not feature the same level of detail as those of other teams. "All that said and done though, we are clearly lacking detail relative to our competitors but you wouldn't have needed the underside of the floor to know that," the Team Principal continued. "You can see that from lap times. That's fundamentally a feature of balance characteristics and the car's performance, and downforce as well at the same time, and a lot of that is being generated by the floor." Williams are currently 10th and last in the Constructors' standings with one point to their name.
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