The last Arrows designed by Ross Brawn before his move to Benetton was the A11. The new single-seater from the Milton Keynes team was a completely different car compared to its predecessor, due to a regulatory overhaul that forced teams to return to naturally aspirated engines and abandon the powerful turbo engines, which had also powered the previous A10 after acquiring the BMW M12/13 projects, rebranded as Megatron and managed by the Swiss engineer Heini Mader.
 |
| ARROWS A11, Eddie Cheever Phoenix, United States GP 1989 |
Brawn, now assisted by James Robinson, designed a new monocoque chassis made of carbon fiber and Kevlar. From this season, however, the car was equipped with the Ford-Cosworth V8 engine in its new DFR version, capable of reaching a maximum output of 620 hp. The push-rod suspension layout was maintained both at the front and rear, as well as the previous transmission system with the old five-speed Hewland gearbox, revised by Arrows engineers. Brawn's brilliance was evident in the extremely compact design of the car body, with even more refined aerodynamics and a “small-size” overall footprint.
 |
| ARROWS A11, Derek Warwick Monza, Italian GP 1989 |
Thanks to the naturally aspirated engine, which did not require the large cooling systems of the Megatron turbo, the sidepods were now very short and low, the engine cover closely followed the dimensions of the Ford-Cosworth V8, and the rear end tapered sharply into a bottleneck shape. The most interesting area remained the front end, which featured a new, more squared and pointed nose compared to the A10. The main innovation appeared on the front wing, which was equipped with double vertical flaps to facilitate airflow toward the small sidepods positioned between the wheels and the chassis, designed to channel the aerodynamic flow toward the outer sides of the car.
 |
| ARROWS A11, Derek Warwick Phoenix, United States GP 1989 |
The compact and “slim” lines of the chassis posed some entry difficulties into the cockpit for American driver Eddie Cheever, due to his relatively tall stature, a problem not shared by the smaller British driver Derek Warwick. During the season, the British driver Martin Donnelly, a Formula 1 debutant, also drove the A11 at the French Grand Prix, replacing the slightly injured Warwick. Although slightly less competitive than the A10B, the new A11 still achieved a respectable performance overall, especially in races rather than qualifying, managing to finish in the points seven times and collecting 13 points in the constructors' standings, allowing Arrows to secure seventh place.
 |
| ARROWS A11, Eddie Cheever Imola, San Marino GP 1989 |
At his home Grand Prix in Phoenix, Arizona, Eddie Cheever also earned the team's only podium of the year by finishing third. The A11 also made a brief appearance in the first race of the 1990 season before being replaced by the “B” version.
Comments
Post a Comment