msf_2004_williams_fw26

The Williams FW26 is a Formula One racing car designed and built by Williams F1 for the 2004 Formula One season. The design team was led by Patrick Head, Gavin Fisher and Antonia Terzi. It was driven by Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya and proved to be one of the most attention grabbing cars of the season. The FW26 was powered by a BMW 3.0 V10 engine, one of the most powerful in F1 at the time. The car featured a radical front section, nicknamed the 'Walrus nose'. It featured a short, stubby nosecone connected to the front wing by sloping vertical spars which allowed more airflow to the underside of the car. In an effort to maximise the airflow, the front suspension was designed around the twin keel principle, pioneered by Sauber and also used by McLaren and Jordan. he team redesigned the front end of the car in time for the Hungarian Grand Prix and fitted the car with a more conventional nosecone. This helped bring an upsurge of competitiveness to the car and gave Montoya a needed boost. It was with this configuration that Montoya set the all-time fastest F1 lap in pre-qualifying at Monza, almost 163 mph average.