In 2002, for Arrows Grand Prix International, one of the teams that made Formula 1 history, the season began with the usual financial problems that had plagued the English squad based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, in recent years. With Orange as the only sponsor, and the withdrawal of Eurobet and European Aviation, both minor sponsors but still contributors of cash to the team’s already depleted coffers, Walkinshaw once again found himself scraping the bottom of the barrel just to register his team for the 2002 championship. Naturally, the small group of engineers working on the new Arrows A23 remained almost unchanged from 2001, with Englishman Mike Coughlan still serving as Technical Director and Italian Nicolò Petrucci, formerly of Ferrari, still in charge of aerodynamics. The only major change was the hiring of Argentine designer Sergio Rinland, who had left Sauber and was persuaded by Walkinshaw to join the English team with the promise of greater responsibilities in the future.
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| ARROWS A23, Heinz-Harald Frentzen Montecarlo, Monaco GP 2002 |
With only 20 engineers working at Walkinshaw’s TWR headquarters in Leafield, Oxfordshire, the new A23 was designed. Essentially, it was a direct evolution of the previous A22, with the only notable addition being a twin-keel front end, a concept dear to Rinland, already implemented in 2001 on the Sauber C20, which he himself had designed. In fact, the only significant changes were made at the front, where, under a noticeably higher nose and with new spoon-shaped wing supports, the twin keel was used to anchor the suspension arms to the chassis. The design was far more elaborate than the one seen on the Sauber C20. Despite the complexity of the keel structures and the increase in weight compared to a single central keel, the new system allowed for better aerodynamic flow management towards the car’s floor, yielding performance gains that more than compensated for the added weight. The concept proved so effective that, at the end of the season when the team folded, Coughlan moved to McLaren and implemented the same solution on the 2003 Woking car. Another major innovation on the A23 concerned the engine. By mid-2001, Walkinshaw had decided to abandon the Asiatech project, which used old Peugeot V10s reworked by Asia Motor Technology under Argentine engineer Enrique Scalabroni, and switch to what he believed were more powerful and reliable Cosworth V10s. Unfortunately for the British manager, reality proved otherwise. The new Cosworth CR-4, also used on the Jaguar R3, despite offering about 20 more horsepower than the previous Asiatech, turned out to be even less reliable than the Franco-Asian V10.
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| ARROWS A23, Enrique Bernoldi Catalunya-Barcelona, Spanish GP 2002 |
Yet another setback came from the car’s design, which followed the guidance of Jos Verstappen, under a three-year contract with Arrows after stints with Benetton, Tyrrell, Stewart, and Honda. However, Verstappen was sidelined just before the start of the season and replaced with German driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen. The second car remained in the hands of Brazilian Enrique Bernoldi, financially backed by Red Bull. Although the A23 was officially unveiled to the press only on the Wednesday before the season opener in Australia, it was Bernoldi who first tested the new car in February at the old Kemble airfield in Gloucestershire, England, before moving to the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, Spain, on February 6. Despite the soundness of the chassis-package, the A23’s overall performance was poor, with the Cosworth engine causing most of the season’s retirements. Only Frentzen managed to score points, with finishes in Spain and Monaco, before Arrows’ inevitable collapse.
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| ARROWS A23, Enrique Bernoldi Melbourne, Australian GP 2002 |
Mounting financial problems pushed Walkinshaw to adopt borderline-legal strategies in order to avoid heavy penalties. A striking example occurred at the French Grand Prix, where the two Arrows cars skipped free practice sessions and appeared only for qualifying. During qualifying, however, the drivers were ordered to lap at extremely slow speeds, well beyond the 107% rule, which normally disqualifies cars from starting. This trick was intended to avoid the penalty for missing a race weekend while also saving costs by not racing. Unsurprisingly, the FIA reprimanded Walkinshaw, warning him against repeating such behavior. Meanwhile, Walkinshaw was negotiating with Morgan Grenfell Bank to secure funds that might save the team. At the following German Grand Prix, the team competed as usual, only to suffer yet another double engine failure. Frentzen then decided to quit Arrows, prompting the team to recall Verstappen, who, however, refused due to an ongoing legal dispute against the team. As a result, Arrows appeared in Hungary with only Bernoldi. But on the Tuesday before the race, Walkinshaw ordered the team to leave the circuit. At the next race in Spa-Francorchamps, the team showed up at the track but carried out no activities, leaving the Arrows garage empty. The FIA then issued an ultimatum, demanding that the team compete at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza or face exclusion from the championship.
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| ARROWS A23, Heinz-Harald Frentzen Montecarlo, Monaco GP 2002 |
In the meantime, rumors circulated of interest from Craig Pollock, former BAR boss, backed by American investors, in purchasing 40% of the team’s shares. Other potential buyers included Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz and the Arab investment group Asset Trust Partners, who aimed to establish a “German Grand Prix” team based in Germany. None of these negotiations materialized, however, and burdened with debts to suppliers and employees, Arrows Grand Prix International was forced into liquidation, dragging down Walkinshaw’s TWR as well. A consortium led by Phoenix Finance, run by Walkinshaw’s friend Charles Nickerson, acquired part of Arrows’ assets along with those from Prost Grand Prix and attempted to enter Formula 1 mid-season with their own team, but the FIA denied the necessary licenses. At that point, Paul Stoddart, owner of Minardi, stepped in and purchased the remaining Arrows assets, including the cars and intellectual property, to use as the basis for the 2003 Minardi. Thus ended the story of a team that had been present in Formula 1 for 25 years, fielding drivers of the caliber of Riccardo Patrese, Jochen Mass, Alan Jones, Gerhard Berger, Derek Warwick, and Damon Hill, among others.
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