Rinland in AsiaTech F1 Team linkup ?

At testing this week
By Huw Alban
May 3 2002

Rumours from several news sources suggest that Arrows aero bod Sergio Rinland is to team up with AsiaTech's Enrique Scalabroni in order to create a 100% AsiaTech Formula 1 team, and apparently the two have already started construction of a car which has already done time in a wind tunnel.

Sergio Rinland was recently recruited by OrangeArrows to boost the design team, and was present with the team at Silverstone this week overseeing the development work on the A23. Paddock talk suggests that there are about 15 people involved in the team, and that financially the venture is very sound and likely to continue. The AsiaTech car is reported to be about 40% complete and has been tested in at least 3 wind tunnel facilities in the UK.

Scalabroni's involvement has been on the technical side with the introduction of a 7-speed gear box, apparently smaller in size than the one used by Ferrari. Rinland's aerodynamic ideas have also been described as revolutionary using high bending broadsides to form a channel inside the body of the car. AsiaTech too have been busy, and are said to be on course to produce an evolution of their V10 engine in July of this year.

When the team will be ready is unsure, with no journalists currently prepared to stick their necks out with a guess. Where is leaves OrangeArrows is perhaps the most important question - Rinland's input on the A23 is obvious and the team have made big strides forward in performance despite limited testing. Of course this is only rumour and could be a load of cobblers - how would they enter the championship if all 12 licenses are already held (unless Pheonix didn't purchase the rights) ?