F1 2002 - Strategy Guide (Page 03)
Below are the cheat codes, hints and help for F1 2002 - Strategy Guide (Page 03).
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GENERAL TIPS
A general tip for ALL racing games is to successfully
complete ALL the license tests in any game of the Gran
Turismo series. This is a great way to learn how to handle
cars of all drivetrain formats and horsepower ratings in a
wide variety of situations - starting and stopping, J-turns,
right-angle corners, chicanes, blind turns, wet racing
conditions, etc. This will all be very handy for virtually
ANY racing/driving game you ever play, and the Gran Turismo
games are also extremely good to have in your PSX/PS2
collection (especially GT3).
Another general tip for ALL racing games is to read through
my General Racing/Driving Guide, available EXCLUSIVELY at
FeatherGuides and at
GameFAQs This presents many of
the same information the Gran Turismo license tests present
in practice, plus plenty of other information ranging from
judicious use of rumble strips to typical tuning options to
tire management.
When first playing F1 2002 (irrespective of whether or not
you have played the preceding games in the series), play with
flags, damage, etc., set to off, and with weather set to dry;
also, use Normal Handling. This will give you the best
possible (and most forgiving) conditions for learning how to
handle the cars in F1 2002. As you progress with the game,
add weather, damage, Simulation handling, etc.
F1's standing starts can either give you a great advantage,
or put you at the back of the pack. To reduce or eliminate
wheelspin from a standing start, try to time the use of the
accelerator with the exact millisecond the lights go out. If
you use the accelerator too soon, you WILL have wheelspin,
which can cause flat-spotting in the rear tires and can even
cause your car to go askew so that it points in a trajectory
taking you directly OFF the circuit (or into a barrier).
Also related to the standing starts, if you are deep in the
pack, the car directly in front of you is likely to produce A
LOT of smoke (and spray, if in wet conditions at the
beginning of a race) due to wheelspin. If at all possible,
swing to the edge of the pavement immediately to avoid an
early accident if you can get off the line a lot sooner than
the car in front. Some circuits are set up so that there is
either wide pavement on the Pit Straight or an expanse of
pavement unofficially part of the main circuit itself (such
as the right side of the pavement at Monza and at Suzuka);
making use of these areas can allow you to swing out wide to
avoid incidents, and also get you clear of traffic so that
you can REALLY slam on the accelerator and pass huge numbers
of cars before the initial corners of the circuit.
Braking is always important in racing. However, F1 2002
demands SMOOTH braking (especially if using Simulation
handling), which often means braking rather early. Slamming
on the brakes often results in wheel lock and/or car spin,
which can induce flat-spotting on the tires and tremendously
increases the risk of collision - especially with the Tire
Wear option activated.
Even after the standing starts, the use of the accelerator is
extremely important in F1 2002. By exercising extreme care
with both the brakes and the accelerator, anyone can rapidly
learn to essentially glide through corners at a rather quick
speed. A pristine racing line is also important in these
situations, as the changes in G-force and velocity need to be
constantly kept in check if you want to remain on the
official course.
I personally find it sometimes easier to take tight corners
WITHOUT braking. In these cases, simply let off the
accelerator and coast toward and through the corner until the
appropriate acceleration point, usually at or just beyond the
apex. One very good place to attempt this strategy is at the
initial corners at Kuala Lampur (Malaysia), although this
tactic can have rather dire consequences at the start of a
race with all the cars bunched together.
The AI in F1 2002 produces some interesting challenges in
terms of action on the track. For example, I have several
times seen a group of cars four-wide on the Pit Straight at
Monza (coming off the Curva Parabolica) as they dice for
position. If you are coming up quickly upon a pack of slower
cars involved in a heated battle for position, this can be a
particularly challenging situation, especially if you are
yourself being pursued rather aggressively. Try to analyze
the movements of the cars in front of you and look for an
opening. However, remember that most CPU-controlled cars use
the exact same racing line, so once they fall into line for a
corner or a chicane, dart up past them and try to outbreak
them into the corner/chicane (IF you have confidence in your
brakes and reflexes).
Speed Assist (which automatically handles braking when
cornering) can be great when first learning a course.
However, to be truly effective in these races, Speed Assist
should be turned off. This will allow YOU to handle braking
(if wanted) while cornering, and will generally allow you to
have MUCH more speed in corners. This translates to more
difficult handling, as cars will always handle better when
going slow than when going fast (assuming the car set-up has
not been changed). This also means that passing while
cornering will be much easier - and much more dangerous. For
those who wish to shortcut corners, deactivating Speed Assist
will also help to keep your momentum as you drive through
sand and/or grass. If you REALLY want to achieve fast lap
times and generally be much more competitive in a race, then
Speed Assist simply MUST be deactivated.
Some circuits have distance-to-corner markers in anticipation
of tight and/or (semi-)blind corners. While these markers
are useful, DO NOT completely rely on them, as they may
'disappear' as the race progresses. These markers can be
knocked down by a car which slips or is forced off the
pavement, and the markers are not replaced. Therefore, try
to use permanent objects (such as grandstands or trees) to
judge the braking zone for a corner or chicane.
ALWAYS listen attentively to the team radio communications;
this will give you information about your teammate's progress
and the condition of your own car, as well as alert you to
any incidents on the circuit, such as spins, cars with
smoking engines (which often leak oil), etc. Especially when
you hear that another car has a problem, always be on the
lookout for EXTREMELY slow cars in the indicated sector of
the circuit - cars WILL come to a complete stop in the middle
of the pavement, and if you are playing with Flags off, it is
quite easy to miss seeing the slowed/stopped vehicle until it
is too late to take evasive action. If you are assigned a
Stop-Go Penalty, you will also receive radio communications
instructing you when to come to Pit Lane to serve the
penalty.
For those playing with Simulation Handling, it is important
to note that using long gear ratios will produce an automatic
loss of position for the standing starts due to the inherent
decreased acceleration. However, there are times when the
decreased acceleration can be of tremendous benefit, such as
taking a series of tight S-curves quickly without the need
for braking (such as through Bechetts at Silverstone). The
most obvious benefit to long gear ratios is the higher top-
end speed, yet the long gear ratio must be matched with
medium or low downforce settings for the wings to force the
car into seventh gear (in automatic transmission) on long
straightaways (such as Rettilineo Parabolica at Monza).
F1 2002 features CPU-controlled opposition which is FAR more
competitive and relentless than in previous incarnations of
the series. However, this also means the competitors are
absolutely ruthless. Should you have an off or an on-track
accident, do not expect those behind you to give you room to
rejoin the race. Instead, the competitors will often plow
into you at full throttle, knocking your car around like a
snowboarder at Tokyo Megaplex. While this certainly presents
some interesting visuals in Replay mode, this can very
quickly become frustrating... and costly, as you will likely
find yourself at the very tail end of the pack once you can
recover.
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F1-SPEAK
F1 racing has a somewhat specialized vocabulary. Here are
some of the more common terms:
ARMCO: The type of barriers generally used
at F1 races. Information on these
crash barriers can be found at Hill
and Smith Web site
Blowed up: A car's engine has expired. This is
characterized by a massive plume of
white-grey smoke pouring from the
rear of the car. Also, there is
often oil deposited all over the
race circuit, so if a blowed up
car does not instantly pull off the
pavement, that section of the
circuit will be very dangerous for
the remainder of the race.
Catch: In any form of auto racing, it is
quite common to see a car slide off
the course, often at high speeds.
Generally, this results in a car
either being essentially beached in
a sand trap, stuck in the grass if
the area has recently experienced a
significant rainfall, or a collision
a barrier. Even if the car does not
slide off the course, spins on the
racing circuit itself also occur
with relative frequency.
A 'catch' is when one of the
above incidents occurs, but the
driver is able to either keep the
car from hitting a barrier (or
another car) and/or is able to keep
the car from getting stuck in the
sand or grass before returning to
the circuit.
Lollipop Man: The man holding the Brakes stick in
a Pit Stop. This stick essentially
looks like a long lollipop, with its
long handle and rounded end with
instructions for the driver.
Off: A car has gone off-course. A minor
off means that only one or perhaps
two wheels have slipped off the
pavement, and the driver can
generally recover quickly. However,
a major off involves a trip well
off the pavement, and usually also
occurs at very high speed.
P#: This indicates a driver's race
position. P1 is Pole Position; P6
is the final points-paying position;
P22 is last place.
Points-paying Positions: These are the Top 6 places in a
race. At the end of a race, P1
awards 10 points, P2 awards 6
points, P3 awards 4 points, P4
awards 3 points, P5 awards 2 points,
and P1 awards 1 point. There are NO
points awarded to drivers not
finishing in the Top 6. This also
the reason why the TV Panels at the
bottom of the screen update by six
positions at once; in F1 2002, the
updates are generally ONLY for the
points-paying positions.
Shunt: A collision, generally between cars.
This term could also be used for
cars swapping paint, but that is
EXTREMELY difficult to do in open-
wheel racing (such as F1) without
inducing an accident.
Team Orders: Each F1 team runs two cars at each
race weekend. Team orders involve
one or both drivers purposely
altering driving style or changing
race positions for the betterment of
the team. While team orders are NOT
illegal in F1 competition (they are
illegal in some other forms of
motorsport), many generally have a
strong dislike (and even a nasty
hatred) for team orders, especially
in those situations where team
orders actually change the results
of a race.
The most notable incidence of
team orders - and likely the most
controversial use of team orders in
F1 history past, present, or future
- involved Ferrari's Reubens
Barrichello, who had dominated the
entire race weekend, pulling over in
the final meters of the 2002 Grand
Prix of Austria (at A1-Ring) so that
his teammate Michael Schumacher
could instead take the win, thus
gaining an extra four points over
his strong rival Juan Pablo Montoya
in the Drivers' Championship. This
use of team orders severely angered
F1 fans at the circuit and around
the world, but was justified by
Ferrari by the team's desire to
protect Schumacher's lead in the
Drivers' Championship.
World Feed: Because F1 races are televised
(generally live) worldwide, FIA has
implemented the World Feed system,
in which the images of grand prix
weekends are provided by the FIA-
licensed F1 broadcaster for the
country hosting each grand prix; all
other F1 broadcasters must then use
these images and sounds for their
F1 coverage. There are provisions
for the many F1-licensed
broadcasters worldwide to include
Pit Lane reports, but once a race
begins, FIA prohibits any images
from Pit Lane which are NOT provided
by the World Feed system.
Since each race is essentially
'televised' by a different country's
F1-licensed broadcaster, the World
Feed coverage between races
definitely varies in quality. The
World Feed for races in Malaysia is
generally rather poor, with images
often focusing on action away from
what is most significant for the
race or the overall season
standings, reflecting Malaysia's
F1-licensed broadcaster's lack of
experience and knowledge in
televising live F1 races. Races
held in Western Europe - where many
F1 races are held - generally have a
very high quality World Feed due to
extensive experience and knowledge
in televising F1 races.
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A MAJOR PROBLEM: FIA RULES
My only MAJOR complaint about F1 2002 (as with F1 2001) is
its implementation of FIA rules, which includes the use of
flags. While I personally WANT to race with flags active,
the implementation of the rules is FAR too oppressive - to
the point that I have thrown the controller in frustration
several times, and will probably need to buy a new one soon.
What makes the FIA Rules option oppressive is how the Yellow
Flag is used, particularly in accident situations. For
example, as a highly aggressive driver, I tend to get into
accidents or at least bump tires with someone fairly often.
When this happens, if the other car has even one pixel ahead
of my car, then ends up spinning or otherwise slipping behind
me while I am able to keep going, the Yellow Flag is often
presented instantly, and a $@#%^#&*!@ Stop-Go Penalty
assigned for supposedly 'Passing Under the Yellow Flag.'
Also oppressive is the Yellow Flag speed limit of 130MPH.
When the Yellow Flag is first displayed, the CPU does not
allow enough time for the player to see the Yellow Flag waved
(or its indicator at the top-right of the screen) and slow
appropriately, resulting in a $@#%^#&*!@ Stop-Go Penalty.
While not necessarily a problem, I personally wish that the
107% rule would actually be enforced (or at least allow the
player to choose to have the 107% rule enforced). The 107%
rule means that anyone qualifying with a time higher than
107% of the race's pole position is deemed to not have
qualified, thus keeping really slow cars (which could
possibly be dangerous to other drivers in the race) out of
the race. Granted, this then makes it possible that the
player may be the only one participating in a race
(especially if shortcutting where 'permitted' during
qualifying), or that a player not qualify well enough to
compete in a race.
I have been unable to check this, but if there is a minimum
speed rule in F1 racing, the game definitely needs to
implement this rule as well. There have been several times
when a super-slow car, or even a car stopped on the track in
an area without a Yellow Flag displayed, has suddenly
'appeared from nowhere' and - due to my closing speed at top
acceleration - caused me to crash. I know NASCAR has a
minimum speed rule (which is even more important on oval-
based tracks), but I would be surprised if a similar rule did
not exist in F1 racing.
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COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVE SECTION
My favorite circuits are:
Albert Park
Imola
Monaco (to watch a race, not to actually race - especially
since I was able to visit Monaco in 1991)
Hockenheim
Spa-Francorchamps
Monza (my personal 'test course' for the game)
Suzuka
My least favorite circuits are:
Hungaroring
Interlagos (but NOT because of any falling billboards!!!)
Nurburgring
Monaco (to race)
A1-Ring
Kuala Lampur
My favorite corners/segments:
Albert Park: Turns 11 and 12
Silverstone: Bechetts
Monaco: The Tunnel and the entry to the Swimming Pool
Chicane
Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve: Nurburgring and Turns 12 and 13
Hockenheim: The Stadium
Spa-Francorchamps: La Source, Red Water, and Blanchimont
Monza: Ascari (especially at full speed) and Curva
Parabolica
Indianapolis: Turn 13 (Indy/NASCAR Turn 1)
Suzuka: Degner and 130R
My least favorite corners are:
Monaco: Everything but The Tunnel and the entry to the
Swimming Pool Chicane
Spa-Francorchamps: Bruxelles
Most hairpins (especially at Nurburgring)
My favorite Pit Lanes (based on Pit Entry) are at:
Imola
Spa-Francorchamps
Monza
Indianapolis
My least favorite Pit Lanes (based on Pit Entry) are at:
Albert Park
Interlagos
Monaco
A1-Ring
Hungaroring
Kuala Lampur
My least favorite Pit Lane (based on Pit Exit) is at:
Interlagos
My favorite teams are:
Ferrari
Toyota
Williams
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TEAM INFORMATION
This section will present each team alphabetically and some
team information. Information is taken from the teams'
official Web sites; some information is extremely brief,
while other teams present essentially a book full of
information.
Arrows
Full Team Name: Arrows Grand Prix International, Ltd.
Web Site:
Sponsors and Partners: Orange, Red Bull, Lost Boys,
Bridgestone, Cosworth, Paul Costelloe
Whilst working for the Shadow team in 1977, and frustrated
by on-track results, Alan Rees, Jackie Oliver, Dave Wass
and Tony Southgate decided to start their own Grand Prix
team. On November 28th, after months of initial
preparation, Alan Rees arrived at their new factory in
Milton Keynes ready to face a big challenge. There wasn't
even a telephone in the new place, but as soon as one was
installed the next day it began to ring. People wanted to
be part of the Arrows dream. The equipment arrived on
December 5th and by January 28th, 1978, the first car (the
FA1) was ready to be unveiled to the press at a snowy
Silverstone. Ricardo Patrese was the team's first and only
driver at that time.
The car made it's debut at the 1978 Brazilian Grand Prix
where Patrese qualified in 18th position, 2.7 seconds
behind pole sitter Ronnie Peterson in the Lotus. He stayed
out of trouble and finished 10th, four laps down on the
winner, Carlos Reutemann. The next Grand Prix took place a
month later in South Africa giving the team more time to
prepare. Patrese wowed everyone with his pace, starting
from seventh position (0.87 sec. behind Nikki Lauda in his
Brabham) and taking the lead halfway through the race.
Unfortunately his Ford engine gave up 14 laps before the
finish, taking with it Arrows' hopes for an early win.
There was also trouble brewing away from the track.
When the new Shadow car was shown to the press, it was
noticed that it looked exactly like the Arrows car. As
most of the Arrows team-members were former Shadow
employees, Shadow accused the Arrows team of plagiarism
and sued. The High Court in London ruled in favour of
Shadow, stating the Arrows FA1 was a copy of the Shadow,
and Arrows was forced to build a new car. In a record
breaking time of just four weeks, the new car was built
and ready to race but there were still problems on the
horizon
During the Italian Grand Prix that year there was a 10-car
pile-up on the first lap of the race. Patrese was later
accused of causing the accident as he hit the McLaren of
James Hunt that in turn hit the Lotos of Ronnie Peterson,
sending him into the barriers. Peterson was to later die
from his injuries and Patrese was suspended for the next
race because he was held indirectly responsible. Patrese
lived with this accusation for many years before he was
finally cleared of any blame.
By the end of the debut season, Arrows had accumulated 11
World Championship points and had beaten their old team,
Shadow, in the Constructors' Championship.
In 1979, Arrows fielded two cars in the World Championship
and Patrese was joined by Jochen Mass. It wasn't until the
last race of the year that they were able to score points
but the next year, 1980, would see the cars competing more
strongly. At the United States Grand Prix at Long Beach,
Patrese finished second, behind Nelson Piquet, and by the
end of the year the team had amassed enough points to take
seventh place in the Constructors' Championship, equal to
McLaren and ahead of Ferrari.
In 1979, Arrows fielded two cars in the World Championship
and Patrese was joined by Jochen Mass. It wasn't until the
last race of the year that they were able to score points
but the next year, 1980, would see the cars competing more
strongly. At the United States Grand Prix at Long Beach,
Patrese finished second, behind Nelson Piquet, and by the
end of the year the team had amassed enough points to take
seventh place in the Constructors' Championship, equal to
McLaren and ahead of Ferrari.
In 1980, Tony Southgate left the team and David Wass
assumed the mantle of Chief Designer. At the 1981 San
Marino Grand Prix the team came tantalisingly close to its
first win but Patrese had to settle for second place, just
4.5 seconds behind Piquet. New driver, Siegfried Stohr,
who replaced Mass was unable to score any points so he too
was replaced, this time by Jacques Villeneuve, the brother
of Gilles. Patrese scored all 10 points the team achieved
that year but then left the Arrows at the end of 1981 to
join the Brabham team.
The 1982 season started badly for Arrows with Mauro Baldi
and Brian Henton unable to even qualify for the first
Grand Prix and, after five races, Henton was replaced by
Marc Surer. By the end of the season Arrows had only
scored five points. This was not good enough for the team
and plans were put in place to build for the future. Tough
seasons in 1983 and 1984 followed but, by the beginning of
1985, Arrows had a stronger car, an engine supplied by BMW
and a solid driver line-up in Gerhard Berger and Thierry
Boutsen. This combination gave Arrows 14 points that year
and it looked like the team was on its way up.
The 1982 season started badly for Arrows with Mauro Baldi
and Brian Henton unable to even qualify for the first
Grand Prix and, after five races, Henton was replaced by
Marc Surer. By the end of the season Arrows had only
scored five points. This was not good enough for the team
and plans were put in place to build for the future. Tough
seasons in 1983 and 1984 followed but, by the beginning of
1985, Arrows had a stronger car, an engine supplied by BMW
and a solid driver line-up in Gerhard Berger and Thierry
Boutsen. This combination gave Arrows 14 points that year
and it looked like the team was on its way up .
The 1982 season started badly for Arrows with Mauro Baldi
and Brian Henton unable to even qualify for the first
Grand Prix and, after five races, Henton was replaced by
Marc Surer. By the end of the season Arrows had only
scored five points. This was not good enough for the team
and plans were put in place to build for the future. Tough
seasons in 1983 and 1984 followed but, by the beginning of
1985, Arrows had a stronger car, an engine supplied by BMW
and a solid driver line-up in Gerhard Berger and Thierry
Boutsen. This combination gave Arrows 14 points that year
and it looked like the team was on its way up.
The 1982 season started badly for Arrows with Mauro Baldi
and Brian Henton unable to even qualify for the first
Grand Prix and, after five races, Henton was replaced by
Marc Surer. By the end of the season Arrows had only
scored five points. This was not good enough for the team
and plans were put in place to build for the future. Tough
seasons in 1983 and 1984 followed but, by the beginning of
1985, Arrows had a stronger car, an engine supplied by BMW
and a solid driver line-up in Gerhard Berger and Thierry
Boutsen. This combination gave Arrows 14 points that year
and it looked like the team was on its way up.
Berger departed for Benetton in 1986 and his replacement,
Christian Danner, scored the teams' only point that year.
This was a big disappointment for Arrows but the arrival
of new designer, Ross Brawn, produced a car that helped
its drivers Eddie Cheever and Derek Warwick to pick up 11
points. In 1987 the team was even stronger and often on
the pace with the powerful factory-backed teams, finishing
sixth in the Constructors? Championship. More good fortune
was on the way.
Berger departed for Benetton in 1986 and his replacement,
Christian Danner, scored the teams' only point that year.
This was a big disappointment for Arrows but the arrival
of new designer, Ross Brawn, produced a car that helped
its drivers Eddie Cheever and Derek Warwick to pick up 11
points. In 1987 the team was even stronger and often on
the pace with the powerful factory-backed teams, finishing
sixth in the Constructors' Championship. More good fortune
was on the way.
With a more or less unchanged car in 1988, Arrows took
fourth place in the Constructors' Championship. The team
continued its good form in 1989. A long pit-stop in Brazil
scuppered Warwick's chance of taking Arrows' first win but
a podium finish for Cheever in Detroit did much to
motivate the team.
The team continued its good form in 1989. A long pit-stop
in Brazil scuppered Warwick's chance of taking Arrows'
first win but a podium finish for Cheever in Detroit did
much to motivate the team. At the end of 1989 the Arrows
team needed an injection of cash if it was to continue in
Formula One and it was at this point that the Japanese
Footwork Corporation bought a major share of Arrows,
splitting the directorship of the team between Jackie
Oliver, Alan Rees and Mr. Nagata from Footwork.
The 1990 season began with two new drivers, Alex Caffi and
Michele Alboreto, and a new engine from Porsche but again
the results just wouldn't come their way. In 1991, the
team was renamed 'Footwork' but the change of name didn't
produce a change of fortune and the struggle continued. It
wasn't until 1992, when Footwork teamed up with Mugen,
that the results changed. Alboreto scored six points that
year, taking seventh place for the team in the
Constructors' Championship.
The 1990 season began with two new drivers, Alex Caffi and
Michele Alboreto, and a new engine from Porsche but again
the results just wouldn't come their way. In 1991, the
team was renamed 'Footwork' but the change of name didn't
produce a change of fortune and the struggle continued. It
wasn't until 1992, when Footwork teamed up with Mugen,
that the results changed. Alboreto scored six points that
ear, taking seventh place for the team in the
Constructors' Championship.
The 1990 season began with two new drivers, Alex Caffi and
Michele Alboreto, and a new engine from Porsche but again
the results just wouldn't come their way. In 1991, the
team was renamed 'Footwork' but the change of name didn?t
produce a change of fortune and the struggle continued. It
wasn't until 1992, when Footwork teamed up with Mugen,
that the results changed. Alboreto scored six points that
year, taking seventh place for the team in the
Constructors' Championship.
Another tough season followed in 1993 because, although
the Footwork Mugens, now driven by Derek Warwick and Aguri
Suzuki, were qualifying higher up the grid, the race
results were poor and only 4 points were scored.
Footwork reduced its involvement in the team at this point
so in early 1994 it was renamed 'Arrows Grand Prix
International'. Warwick and Suzuki were replaced by F3000
Champion Christian Fittipaldi and Gianni Morbidelli who
together brought in nine points for the team that year.
Fittipaldi headed off to the American Indycar series at
the end of the year but a replacement was quickly found in
Taki Inoue, a Japanese driver.
A shortage of funds in 1995 forced Arrows to take on
drivers who brought sponsorship money with them. Inoue
didn't make the grade on the track but as he brought
finance it was Morbidelli who the team had to begrudgingly
let go. Max Papis arrived to take his place but for the
last three races Morbidelli returned and duly rewarded the
team for having faith in him by finishing on the podium in
Australia!
In March 1996, the Arrows team was bought by TWR Group
owner, Tom Walkinshaw, who moved the entire operation to
new headquarters in Leafield, Oxfordshire. Walkinshaw's
dream was to turn Arrows into a top-line team. He set
about his task and hired two promising young drivers, Jos
Verstappen and Riccardo Rosset. The team proved itself to
be fast in qualifying but needed to start producing strong
race results so Arrows needed a driver with a proven
record.
Walkinshaw pulled off the coup of the year and signed
newly-crowned F1 World Champion Damon Hill for the 1997
season. With the new Yamaha engine and Bridgestone tyres,
the team had a fighting chance and, at the Hungarian Grand
Prix, the moment they had all been waiting for arrived -
almost. Hill had put in a stunning performance and was
leading the race when, on the penultimate lap, he slowed
dramatically. Hydraulic problems had finally beaten him
and on the very last lap Jacques Villeneuve got past to
take the chequered flag. Although delighted with second
place, the team was greatly disappointed after getting so
close to a victory.
In 1998, John Barnard, the famed ex-Ferrari designer
joined the team along with two new drivers, Mika Salo and
Pedro Diniz. Together they scored six points that season.
A lack of money for testing and development meant that the
black-liveried A19 quickly fell of the pace. The Hart
designed Arrows V10 which the team built in the absence of
a factory deal couldn't match the power of Mercedes,
Renault, Ferrari and the like so did not allow the team to
exploit the car. Apart from a great drive by Salo to claim
fourth in Monaco, the year was disappointing. Barnard
departed, replaced by Mike Coughlan who designed the A20
for the 1999 season.
Pedro de la Rosa and Tora Tagaki took the driver's seats
in 1999 and, in his debut race, Pedro finished in sixth
place, taking one World Championship point. Unfortunately
this was to be the only point Arrows collected in 1999. At
the beginning of the same season, the Arrows team needed
another injection of cash and it was Nigerian Prince Ado
Ibrahim Malik who offered the rescue package. In return
for becoming a co-director with Walkinshaw, Malik sourced
a 45% buyout of the team from Morgan Grenfell. However,
Malik's continued failure to source sponsorship money was
resulted in his departure at the end of that season.
It was time to move onwards and upwards. Pedro de la Rosa
was re-signed for 2000 and was joined by Jos Verstappen.
In March 2000, telecommunications giant, Orange, joined
Arrows as title sponsor. The increased investment, in
addition to a new management structure, aided the team's
ability to develop and create greater security for the all
new OrangeArrows Team. The A21 chassis, powered by a
Supertec V10 engine proved to be a strong combination and
Vertappen and de la Rosa were both able to fight with the
front-runners. Finishing seventh in the Constructors'
Championship was a great result for the team and this
impressive performance was duly awarded when Arrows was
voted 'Most Improved Team of the Year, 2000' in a public
opinion vote.
In 2001, Arrows looked to build on its strong results from
the previous year. Powered by a new Asiatech engine
package, and with fresh faces in the race team and design
office, the team was confident of success. Early signs
were indeed positive, with the A22 proving its reliability
in Australia, and Jos Verstappen giving possibly the drive
of the season in rain-soaked Malaysia, which left the team
desperately unlucky not have finished in the points.
Despite other strong efforts, notably in Canada and
Germany, the team's best result came in Austria, where a
consistent drive by Verstappen saw him bring home a
valuable point, in what otherwise proved to be a tough
season for Arrows.
BAR (British American Racing)
Full Team Name: British American Racing Honda
Web Site:
Sponsors and Partners: Lucky Strike, Honda, Tiscali,
Intercond, smugone.com, Sonax, Bridgestone, EDS,
Koni Racing, Acorn, OZ Racing, Barco, Cartwright,
PerkinElmer, Lincoln Electric, Sandvik Coromant,
CRP Technology, DeVilbiss Automotive Refinishing,
AMIK, Acer, NTT DoCoMo, Bottaro
British American Racing (B.A.R) was formed in November
1997 by Craig Pollock, Reynard Racing Cars and British
American Tobacco. British American Racing purchased
Tyrrell Racing shortly afterwards and moved to a state-of
the-art 86,000 square foot headquarters in Brackley, near
Northampton (UK). The facility boasts some of the most up
to-date, technologically advanced engineering machinery
available, including a purpose-built wind tunnel.
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