2016 F1 testing day nine in pictures

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Pictures from the ninth day of testing during the 2016 season at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Among the noticeable changes on the cars are a new rear wing on the Williams, which appears to be a testing-only device which extends beyond the legal bodywork requirements for a race weekend. The team also has a new device fitted to its front wring on the FW38, which is being driven today by Alex Lynn.

Other test drivers in action today are Esteban Ocon (Renault), Alfonso Celis (Force India) and Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso).

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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24 comments on “2016 F1 testing day nine in pictures”

  1. Is that williams legal? Or those are only measurement instruments? Don’t look like it…

    1. Now that I look closely that appendix is sligthly moved forward, maybe into a area that allows more width in the regulations, if that is the case, clever those engineers

      1. It’s mentioned in the article: it extends beyond the legal limits, and is likely a test piece to simulate higher loads expected with the 2017 regs (for Pirelli’s tyre design).

        1. @vettel1 I think the article wasn’t here when I commented. I get it now

    2. It’s not. I guess they try to immitate 2017 levels of downforce.

    3. pastaman (@)
      17th May 2016, 12:00

      The article on this page has only one paragraph. In the 2nd sentence it mentions that it is not legal.

  2. What on earth is that rear wing? Is it like training wheels for a rookie driver? Is it indicative of the rear wings for next season? Is it a loophole that they are looking to exploit? Or is it merely a novel way of monitoring airflow? It’s bizarre regardless.

    1. Simulating next year’s down force as best as possible let as a 2017 spec wing may not fit the current car or they could not produce one in time. Williams have done this before but I cannot remember exactly when, they produced a hack job for past rule changes to replicate future reference changes but on a current car.

  3. VASCO COELHO
    17th May 2016, 11:26

    monaco version?

  4. Racerdude7730
    17th May 2016, 13:25

    What’s up with the nose on the Williams also? Everyone sees the rear wing but something is going on upfront also. It’s attached to the car.

    1. it looks like the nose has grown arms and is now holding the front wing up!!

      1. Racerdude7730
        17th May 2016, 16:04

        That’s what I was thinking. Are the arms coming out of the camera pods?

      2. racerdude7730
        17th May 2016, 20:02

        i think they used it to be able to adjust the front wing from in the car or in the pits as it is on track

        1. Do you know if that is going to be legal. The pit wall isn’t allowed to adjust anything on the car through telemetry. It just seems weird to try something that is not legal or going to be legal

  5. Racerdude7730
    17th May 2016, 15:05

    I think we have seen this Williams before http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/3660/9187/original.jpg (I got the link from someone)

    1. As soon as I saw the top image I thought ‘wow that reminds of the high downforce Williams from 1993’. Great minds!

  6. Hope we’re going to find out if the new Renault motor delivers. That’s become quite a tantalising prospect.

  7. I hate that we are going ever closer to the 80’s and 90’s regs. Upside down airplanes, ugly. They may be tyre testing but I’d say this is Monaco preparation for Williams whilst SFI is earning some cash and testing the new cooling and STR and Renault are trying to pick the next Frenchman in f1, as if they needed more money.

  8. @keith – Little error on your 2016 team stats – at least I can’t recall a TR podium this year;-)

    1. and also fastest laps (there it’s missing – good luck with beating the software with the VES-KVY change.)

  9. The Williams rear wing is very similar to the wings teams ran on high downforce circuits in 1993.

    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Williams_FW15C_rear_wing_Donington_Grand_Prix_Collection.jpg

  10. Apparently the extra front wing arms are to able to adjust the front wing without having to pit, not sure if it’s remotely by pitwall or by driver, but it’s pretty cool (and illegal obviously)

    1. Lewisham Milton
      17th May 2016, 23:28

      Maybe the rear wing’s a new manual DRS – it’s so big the driver can almost reach it!

  11. Even though the rear wing is illegal it’s nice to see a team try something different. Even if it’s to test next years downforce.

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