The birth of the Arrows team was marked by controversy. Despite its unusual origins, the Milton Keynes-based outfit in Buckinghamshire, northwest of London, became a key player in Formula 1, maintaining a consistent presence for over 20 years and establishing itself as one of the longest-lasting mid-field teams of the 1980s and 1990s.
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| ARROWS FA1, Rolf Stemmelen Paul Ricard, French GP 1978 |
The team’s story began in the winter of 1977 when Jack Oliver and Alan Rees abruptly left their partner Don Nichols, owner of the American Shadow Racing team, to start their own outfit. They were joined by engineers Tony Southgate and Dave Wass, driver Riccardo Patrese, and, most importantly, the team's main financial backer: Franco Ambrosio. Ambrosio, a controversial Italian businessman known as the "Wheat King," would later become infamous for his legal troubles. The team was named "Arrows," derived from the initials of Ambrosio, Rees, Oliver, Wass, and Southgate.
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| ARROWS FA1, Riccardo Patrese Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1978 |
The Arrows FA1, the team's first car, debuted in the 1978 season. It was a wing car designed according to the emerging ground-effect principles, featuring an aluminum monocoque chassis paired with the proven Ford-Cosworth DFV engine and Hewland FGA 400 gearbox. With sleek aerodynamics and the talented Italian driver Riccardo Patrese behind the wheel, the FA1 was surprisingly competitive for a debuting team.
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| ARROWS FA1, Riccardo Patrese Jarama, Spanish GP 1978 |
Patrese led the South African Grand Prix in only his second race before his Cosworth engine failed just 15 laps from the finish. The team scored points in Long Beach and Monaco, and a second-place finish in Sweden highlighted the car’s potential. However, the FA1 had one major problem: it was an exact copy of the Shadow DN9, which Southgate had designed before leaving the team.
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| ARROWS A1, Riccardo Patrese Osterreichring, Austrian GP 1978 |
A legal battle ensued, which Shadow won outright. The Arrows FA1 was banned, forcing the team to develop a replacement: the Arrows A1. Hastily built in anticipation of the lawsuit’s outcome, the A1 was introduced just three days after the court ruling. However, it proved less competitive due to rushed development and minimal testing.
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