1990 turned out to be a year of great significance for the Arrows team, which, according to the plans of the new management, was supposed to mark a turning point in its history. The key figure in this story is Wataru Ohashi, president of the Japanese logistics giant Footwork Express Company. To Ohashi, Formula 1, experiencing a surge in popularity in Japan at the time, appeared to be the ideal vehicle to support the media expansion strategy of Footwork. He therefore decided to take a major stake in Arrows, injecting a significant amount of fresh capital into the team.
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| ARROWS A11B, Michele Alboreto Interlagos, Brazilian GP 1990 |
Jackie Oliver and Alan Rees remained in charge of the sporting division, still based in Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, England, but Ohashi became the team’s president. Shortly thereafter, the team changed its name to Footwork Arrows Racing. Leveraging his influence in international finance, Ohashi also secured a highly intriguing deal with Porsche, which was looking to return to Formula 1 after its success in the 1980s. While awaiting the new 80° V12 engine and a complete organizational overhaul, the 1990 season was approached as a transitional year. This was also due to the departure of Ross Brawn, undoubtedly the main architect of the team's recent good results, who left for rival team Benetton, handing over technical leadership to the trio of James Robinson, Alan Jenkins, and Paul Bowen.
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| ARROWS A11B, Alex Caffi Monza, Italian GP 1990 |
These three engineers, in addition to working on the new car that would house the Porsche engine, were also tasked with updating the 1989 model, the A11, into the "B" version for the 1990 season. This car was entrusted to the team's two new drivers, Italians Michele Alboreto and Alex Caffi. Mechanical updates to the car were minimal, mostly concerning the geometry of the rear suspension, while aesthetically the car sported a completely different "skin".
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| ARROWS A11B, Alex Caffi Montrèal, Canadian GP 1990 |
The nose was more squared off, the sidepods were higher and bulkier, the tapering of the rear bodywork was softer in shape, and the engine cover no longer followed the contours of the Ford-Cosworth DFR V8 but instead had a more linear form. In some cases, the bodywork was shortened to better dissipate engine heat. As a transitional car, the A11B’s fate was sealed from the start of the season, with mid-to-lower grid performances and several failed qualifications.
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| ARROWS A11B, Michele Alboreto Phoenix, United States GP 1990 |
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