The end of the 2000 season, with renewed confidence after finally regaining good performance from the A21, allowed the team to look toward 2001 and the new Arrows A22 with greater optimism. However, Tom Walkinshaw, owner of Arrows, once again had to face the usual problems in order to maintain at least an acceptable level of competitiveness. To begin with, he had to deal with the issue of supplying his cars with an engine. In 2000, the UK-based team from Milton Keynes had signed a deal with Flavio Briatore’s Supertec for the supply of the FB02 V10 engine, derived from Renault and managed by the Dutch company Super Performance Competition Engineering. But Renault’s announcement of its return to Formula 1 put an end to any possibility of having the Supertec V10 for 2001, following Renault’s acquisition of the Dutch company. Walkinshaw, however, found a way out by closing a deal with Asiatech.
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| ARROWS A22, Enrique Bernoldi Interlagos, Brazilian GP 2001 |
At the end of the 2000 Formula 1 World Championship, Peugeot decided to end its F1 engine development program, selling its facilities to Asia Motor Technology, a company founded by several Asian investors, including Hideo Morita, son of Sony founder Akio Morita. The Argentine engineer Enrique Scalabroni, who had extensive experience in Formula 1 as a chassis designer, was hired as the technical director of the Asiatech project, operating from Peugeot Sport’s former headquarters in Vélizy-Villacoublay. The agreement provided Arrows with the exclusive, and above all free, use of the Asiatech V10, directly derived from the Peugeot engine used in 2000 by Prost Grand Prix. On the dyno, the Franco-Asian engine produced around 780 hp at 16,500 rpm, but it remained heavily penalized by excessive weight and poor component reliability. Contacts between Walkinshaw and Asiatech began in mid-2000, and initial tests on the A21 produced positive results, leading Mike Coughlan to state that the new engine was well-suited to Arrows’ chassis/suspension package. Walkinshaw also had to deal with several internal changes to his team, with only Coughlan retaining his role as Technical Director. Sporting Director Steve Nielsen moved to Benetton to take up the same position, while the team’s chief designer, Eghbal Hamidy, left in February, with the A22’s design already finalized, to join Jordan. Walkinshaw initially approached Gary Anderson, who had been dismissed from Jaguar, but after Anderson refused, Rob Taylor was hired as Chief Designer and Nicolò Petrucci, formerly of Ferrari, was brought in for aerodynamic development. Petrucci was later joined during the season by Sergio Rinland, who had left Sauber. Another hire was Michael-Alan Ainsley Cowlishaw, in the role of technical coordinator. By the start of the season, the team had grown to 168 staff members and had also purchased the DERA wind tunnel in Bedford, considered one of the most advanced in Europe.
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| ARROWS A22, Jos Verstappen Montecarlo, Monaco GP 2001 |
The new A22, designed by Coughlan and Hamidy, was a very conventional car and essentially an evolution of the promising 2000 A21, with the only substantial change being a return to more conventional front suspension with a push-rod configuration instead of the pull-rod used on the A21. In fact, before the season started, the team even considered preparing two configurations for the new car, one with a pull-rod system and the other with a push-rod, to be swapped depending on the type of circuit. This idea was quickly abandoned due to the complexity of implementation and the difficulty of adapting to potential developments during the season. In addition to necessary changes to comply with new and stricter crash test regulations, compared to its predecessor the A22 featured a different sidepod shape, longer and taller, giving the car a bulkier appearance. The larger sidepods and air intakes were required to house bigger radiators, improving cooling for the Asiatech/Peugeot unit and minimizing the frequent failures common to the French engines. Overall, although the car showed flashes of competitiveness, it suffered above all from the poor reliability of nearly all its components, leading to numerous retirements throughout the season, and from some particularly risky design choices, including the smallest fuel tank in the entire championship and an extremely short wheelbase. Moreover, as test driver Johnny Herbert noted, the car lacked aerodynamic downforce, especially at the front, and whenever changes were made to the front end, problems emerged at the rear.
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| ARROWS A22, Enrique Bernoldi Melbourne, Australian GP 2001 |
In an attempt to improve front downforce, a special raised wing was tested in Monaco, but it was immediately banned by the FIA for safety reasons. Additionally, the designers’ decision to fit the A22 with a smaller fuel tank than its rivals, in order to better balance the weight distribution, was negated by the high fuel consumption of the Asiatech V10, often forcing the drivers to make extra pit stops just to finish the race. One emblematic example was the Malaysian Grand Prix, where Verstappen, running in second place just a few laps from the end, was forced to refuel, dropping out of the points and ending the team’s hopes of a strong finish. On the driver front, the confirmation of Dutchman Jos Verstappen as lead driver was not followed by that of second driver Pedro de la Rosa, who was dropped just weeks before the start of the championship. This meant Arrows lost de la Rosa’s personal sponsor, Repsol, but quickly found financial backing from his replacement, Brazilian Enrique Bernoldi, supported by Red Bull. Experienced British driver Johnny Herbert was signed as third driver and test driver. Toward the end of the season, the lack of testing and Arrows’ limited budget began to take their toll, with both drivers sinking further down the standings.
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| ARROWS A22, Jos Verstappen Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian GP 2001 |
While Orange remained as the main sponsor, Eurobet ended its sponsorship after recording heavy losses. The Red Bull sponsorship was not enough to cover the losses, as European Aviation and the logistical support it provided also disappeared, moving to Minardi after Paul Stoddart purchased the Italian team just before the season began. Well before the end of the 2001 season, Walkinshaw began seeking alternatives for the following year, abandoning the Asiatech project and securing a supply of more powerful and reliable customer Cosworth V10 engines for the next season. Arrows’ 2001 campaign ended with just 1 point, scored by Verstappen in Austria, a race in which the Dutchman even managed to hold off Coulthard’s McLaren for 22 laps. The team’s 10th place in the Constructors’ Championship, ahead only of the tiny Minardi team, could hardly satisfy Walkinshaw, who was once again forced to make significant changes for the upcoming 2002 season.
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