Arrows set to be strong at Silverstone?

By Huw Alban
July 3 2002

The OrangeArrows team had a difficult British Grand Prix in 2001, not helped by a lacklustre qualifying performance. This year the team are encouraged by a better car, lots of Silverstone testing miles, and a good recent test in Spain. Can the team fair better in 2002?

The team qualified in 17th and 20th places on Saturday in 2001, but showed improved form during the warm-up, recording the 13th and 14th fastest times. Both Arrows drivers got superb starts, with Enrique Bernoldi moving up to 14th from 20th and Jos Verstappen improving to 11th from 17th. Verstappen quickly improved his position to ninth, at the expense of Jean Alesi’s Prost and Jacques Villeneuve in the BAR.

The team made their first stops around lap 24, but the majority of the rest of the grid only one-stopped and the Arrows strategy looked weak. At half distance a series of retirements benefited the team, moving Verstappen up to eighth and Bernoldi to 13th. The final stops came around lap 43, with Jos and Enrique down to tenth and 14th, and that’s where they stayed until the end of the race.

Graham Taylor, Chief Race Engineer for the team, said in the official team preview press release, “We have a lot of data and a good deal of experience of this track so I think we come here as well prepared as we possibly can be.” The only flaw in this plan is that there are lots of teams who also put in a good deal of development time at Silverstone, so this might not actually work in the team’s favour. In addition Jaguar, who have participated in a large number of the UK tests this year, are running their new spec R2B chassis which is said to be a significant step forward. This is Arrows’ closest rival at the moment, and the team have to be working to beat Jaguar on home soil.

Can Arrows challenge for points? Only with significant retirements. This circuit is going to really suit the two Williams, the McLarens, Saubers and Renaults and, with them in the way, the chances are virtually nil. The best Arrows can hope for next weekend is to be ahead of the Jaguar cars at the finish, and if they manage it then this site will be very pleased.