Williams sticks with 2023 gearbox and suspension – Mercedes and Aston Martin change concept
Motorsport.com has learned that Williams is sticking with a pull-rod rear suspension for its new Formula 1 car for the 2024 season. The racing team, together with Mercedes, has decided against adopting the top team’s revised layout. Mercedes’ W15 car, on the other hand, was equipped with a push-rod suspension.
This variant has been used successfully by Red Bull and McLaren since the beginning of the ground-effect era and offers aerodynamic advantages – both on the underbody and on the rear wing. It was actually expected that the Mercedes solution would also be used by gearbox customers Aston Martin and Williams, but this is not the case.
Only Aston Martin has switched from pull to push-rod suspension, while Williams has decided against the new component. The racing team, which will continue to rely on Alexander Albon and Logan Sargeant, will use the 2023 version, and Williams will also use the old gearbox from Mercedes.
This decision is said to have been made many months ago, as the teams started developing the cars for the 2024 season early in 2023. However, it would have been a logistical challenge for Mercedes to supply two customer teams with a completely new gearbox and a new rear suspension.
Williams also has a cost advantage by opting for the year-old parts, meaning it can free up budget for other areas of the car where more performance gains can be made. At the presentation earlier this month, Williams team principal James Vowles said that the choice of gearbox will not have a major impact on the team’s performance in 2024.
“The gearbox is supplied by Mercedes and I’ve known it very well for many, many years,” he said. “It’s a very reliable gearbox and provides a good structure for us to work with. In terms of what it means to us, it’s just a known quantity.”
“Basically, the gearbox is no longer as relevant to performance as it once was,” the team boss continues. “It doesn’t make a huge difference. It doesn’t even determine the wheelbase, just a bit more the positioning of the rear and a bit of the fuel cell.”
“We can talk about the rear suspension, but I’ll save that for Bahrain, because there are some interesting things to talk about that we’ve done with the rear suspension,” Vowles reveals about the new Williams car for the 2024 season.
