The F1 dictionary: W

W06

The name of Mercedes' all-conquering 2015 car.

Walker, Murray

Legendary F1 commentator whose famous 'trousers on fire' style of delivery and sometimes intended, sometimes unintended, turn of phrase made him a household name and much-loved figure around the world. See also: Murrayisms.

Watkins, Professor Sid

Formula 1's late doctor and medical chief who between 1978 and 2004 played a central role in improving levels of safety in the sport.

Webber, Mark

Australian driver whose attitude - no nonsense, down to earth, tell-it-how-it-is etc etc - is lifted straight from the 'Australian sportsman' manual. Title contender and long-time World Championship leader in 2010 but comprehensively defeated by Red Bull team-mate Sebastian Vettel thereafter. Headed to endurance racing in 2014 and finally became a world champion there in 2015 with Porsche. 

Weighbridge

The designated area of the pitlane where cars are called for a weigh-in during the course of a grand prix weekend. See also: Weight, Minimum.

Weight distribution

The proportion of the car's total weight that rests upon the front and rear wheels respectively and a critical influence on tyre performance and endurance.

Weight, Minimum

The mandated weight of 702kg which cars must exceed to be considered legal.

Wets

The imaginative name given to the full wet weather tyres which are used when it's, erm, wet. Marked by Pirelli with a blue band. See also: Tyres.

Wheel tethers

The rope-like material - officially known as Zylon - that connects the wheels to the chassis in a bid to stop the former coming free during an accident.

Whiting, Charlie

FIA Technical Delegate and F1's most indispensable man over a race weekend as the race's starter and the voice of ultimate authority on all matters relating to safety and technical configurations. See also: FIA; stewards.

Whitmarsh, Martin

Long-serving McLaren stalwart credited with helping give the team a 'warmer' public image on taking over as team principal from Ron Dennis in 2009 but sadly failed to deliver any title-winning silverware. Replaced in his returning ex-boss's 2014 'coup' and neither seen nor heard from before resurfacing in the yachting world with Ben Ainslie Racing to oversee their America's Cup efforts. 

Williams

Former multiple championship-winning team owned and founded by Frank Williams. Based in Grove, Williams were a dominant force in the 1980s and 1990s before slipping into midfield obscurity and then staging a dramatic revival in 2014. See also: Williams, Frank; Head, Patrick.

Williams, Claire

Daughter of Frank and deputy team principal of the team which goes by her name as well.

Williams, Frank

Hugely respected owner and team principal of his eponymous outfit. Suffered serious injuries in a road accident in 1986 that left him wheelchair-bound. Knighted in 1999.

Wind tunnel

The giant 'tunnel' packed with fans to produce an airflow which is directed at high speeds over and around a model of a car to assess its effects. Crucial for a team's aerodynamic development work.

Wolff, Susie

Wife of Toto and former Williams test driver who became the first female to compete in an F1 practice session for two decades at the 2014 British and German GPs. Retired from motorsport at the end of 2015.

Wolff, Toto

Increasingly high-profile member of F1's hierarchy who left Williams in the early winter of 2013 to become Mercedes' executive director and who is Silver Arrows' team boss alongside Paddy Lowe. Note: Not Arnold Schwarzenegger in disguise.

World Motor Sport Council (WMSC)

The body of FIA officials, including the president, which meets at least four times a year with responsibility for, among a multitude of things, approving F1's regulations and calendar. The WMSC was also the setting for hearings into the many explosive F1 controversies of recent times. See also: FIA; 'Gate'.  

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