Arrows A23
Heinz-Harald Frentzen driving the A23 at the 2002 French Grand Prix
CategoryFormula One
ConstructorArrows
Designer(s)Mike Coughlan (Technical Director)
Sergio Rinland (Chief Designer)
Nicolò Petrucci (Head of Aerodynamics)
PredecessorA22
SuccessorSuper Aguri SA05
Technical specifications
ChassisCarbon-fibre monocoque
Suspension (front)Inboard pushrod operated independent suspension. Carbon fibre wishbones with double tether restraint system both front and rear
Suspension (rear)As front
EngineCosworth CR-3 V10 (72°) naturally-aspirated mid-engined
TransmissionArrows with Jaguar internals 7-speed longitudinal sequential semi-automatic
Power805 hp @ 17,500 rpm[1]
FuelBP
LubricantsCastrol
TyresBridgestone
Competition history
Notable entrantsOrange Arrows
Notable drivers20. Germany Heinz-Harald Frentzen
21. Brazil Enrique Bernoldi
Debut2002 Australian Grand Prix
Last event2002 German Grand Prix
RacesWinsPolesF/Laps
12000
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0

The Arrows A23 is a Formula One racing car, used by the Arrows team during the 2002 Formula One season. It was designed by Mike Coughlan, Sergio Rinland and Nicolò Petrucci with engines supplied by Jaguar-works Cosworth customer rather than the Asiatech unit used in the previous year's Arrows A22.

Arrows racing history

Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi driving A23s at the 2002 French Grand Prix.

The car bore the livery of the team's major sponsor, Orange. The car was completely designed around Jos Verstappen, who had a contract to race for the 2002 season.[2] However, due to financial problems the team replaced him with Heinz-Harald Frentzen on a race by race deal because he could bring more sponsorship money.[2] Rinland designed the car around the twin keel concept he had perfected at Sauber. The A23 was introduced late and had very little pre season testing as a result.[3] Most of the testing and set up work was done by Verstappen before he was abruptly replaced by Frentzen.[4]

Driven by Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi, the car scored only two championship points. Both cars were disqualified at the opening race. Bernoldi grabbed headlines for taking the fight to Michael Schumacher in Malaysia, proving the A23's competitiveness.[5] While the car had pace, reliability was again its achilles heel although Frentzen felt that the car had good potential however.[6] Mounting debts and legal issues forced the team to pull out of Formula One following the 2002 German Grand Prix. Craig Pollock, who had just been ousted from BAR offered to buy the team, but terms could not be reached.[7] Arrows and by extension TWR were declared insolvent shortly afterwards and folded.[8]

The team's penultimate entry at the French Grand Prix saw both drivers deliberately fail to qualify as the team cut back on engine mileage and repair. On-board data acquisition showed the car to be quick in the first two sectors but noticeably slower in the third and final sector.[9] The team's last actual entry was the following at the 2002 German Grand Prix at a new for 2002 heavily revised and shortened version of the Hockenheimring.

It is possible that Orange were due to terminate their sponsorship around the same time anyway due to making huge financial losses.[10]

Further use by other teams

Minardi

Following the demise of Arrows, the A23 chassis and intellectual property rights to them were bought by Paul Stoddart, then the head of the Minardi team, as a potential replacement for his own team's PS03 chassis.

The chassis was renamed the Minardi PS04, although it was largely unchanged from its condition as raced in the 2002 season.[11] A comparison test next to the Minardi PS03 proved it to have similar performance to the PS03, but possibly more potential. However Minardi was worried about the negative PR from running a "pure-Arrows" and the decision was made to modify the PS03 using Arrows intellectual property and elements from the Arrows A23 for the 2004 season. The resulting car was called the Minardi PS04B.[12]

Super Aguri

Four years later, in 2006, the new Super Aguri F1 team bought remaining unmodified A23 cars and from Minardi. Super Aguri ran them, with some minor modifications,[13] as the Super Aguri SA05 during the first half of the 2006 Formula One season.

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

Year Entrant Engines Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Points WCC
2002 Orange Arrows Cosworth V10 B AUS MAL BRA SMR ESP AUT MON CAN EUR GBR FRA GER HUN BEL ITA USA JPN 2 11th
Germany Heinz-Harald Frentzen DSQ 11 Ret Ret 6 11 6 13 13 Ret DNQ Ret
Brazil Enrique Bernoldi DSQ Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 12 Ret 10 Ret DNQ Ret

References

  1. ↑ "Engine Ford Cosworth • STATS F1".
  2. 1 2 "Jos Verstappen". historicracing.com. Archived from the original on 22 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  3. ↑ "Arrows A23". www.f1technical.net. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  4. ↑ "Hidden Potential: 2002 Arrows A23". Car Throttle. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  5. ↑ "Enrique on Schumy, Monaco & bad press". www.f1network.net. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  6. ↑ "Frentzen splits with Arrows". www.irishtimes.com. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  7. ↑ "What happens if Pollock does buy Arrows?". www.grandprix.com. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  8. ↑ "Arrows Grand Prix". www.grandprix.com. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  9. ↑ Garside, Kevin (7 May 2004). "Judge tells F1 Arrows owner to pay £6.5m". Retrieved 21 January 2020 – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  10. ↑ "Future bleak for Arrows F1 team as Orange mulls sponsorship deal". www.campaignlive.co.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  11. ↑ "Stoddart says the Minardi PS04 is ready". grandprix.com. 14 September 2003. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
  12. ↑ "Minardi's "new" new PS04". grandprix.com. 19 December 2003. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
  13. ↑ "New Aguri planned for French GP". GPUpdate.net. 24 April 2006. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  • Henry, Alan, ed. (2002). AUTOCOURSE 2002-2003. Hazleton Publishing Ltd. pp. 78–79. ISBN 1-903135-10-9.
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