The 2013 Williams FW35 will not feature a stepped nose, driver Valtteri Bottas confirmed to finish broadcaster MTV3.
The majority of last seasons cars, excluding the McLaren and Marussia, featured a stepped nose thanks to the regulation changes that year which permitted a higher chassis.
With the visual appearance coming under fire, the governing body put in place an amendment for 2013 allowing teams to install a ‘modesty panel’ to hide the step.
Bottas says this is the most striking change, though it isn’t expected to provide any aerodynamic benefit – an area the team is concentrating on as well as traction.
“As far as looks, the car is pretty much as it was last year,” said the Finn. “With the new rules, the step nose is straightened. That is the biggest difference in appearance.
“The new car is a development version of last year’s. There are certain improvements in aerodynamics. We have tried to focus on getting more traction in corners.”
