Ecclestone unconcerned over Arrows future

Where now?
By Huw Alban
July 15 2002

In a rather disturbing development Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that he is completely out of touch with F1 fans by stating that F1 wouldn’t suffer if the OrangeArrows team went under. Seeing the strength of Arrows support at the British GP, this site finds his statement difficult to understand.

Only a couple of the news sources available to this site have run the quotes from Ecclestone, under headlines that the team may well still crumble, despite the best efforts of team boss Tom Walkinshaw.

If this did happen, Bernie has been quoted as saying that it, “Won’t make any difference to the sport if Arrows went.”

To counter his supposed lack of concern for the team, the main man in the sport did admit that Tom Walkinshaw’s talents were needed in F1. “Tom is a survivor and the sort of guy we need in the sport,” Bernie was also quoted as saying. “It’s a case of him having got his finances a bit wrong. But when you think of all the teams that have come and gone over the years, it would not be such a disaster. These things happen.”

How come, then, when it was reportedly Bernie himself that made a loan to the team so they could pay off Cosworth in order to compete in the British Grand Prix? Answers on the message board if you please...

Reportedly the team has set itself a deadline of Tuesday 16th (tomorrow) to decide whether it is going to continue to compete. One of the best recent signs has been a strong test at Valência last week, where Heinz-Harald Frentzen took the fastest lap honours on the second day. Frentzen has also been quoted himself as saying that Arrows, “Will be racing at France and Germany.”