Back up to speed
Arrows are back, but prove disappointing
Back up to speed
By subh
July 27 2002
The news from the Hockenheimring today was mixed, as the Orange Arrows team could only qualify fifteenth and eighteenth. On a more positive note is the fact that the team looks to be close to a rescue deal, following recent financial difficulties.
Back up to speed
July 27 2002
The news from the Hockenheimring today was mixed, as the Orange Arrows team could only qualify fifteenth and eighteenth. On a more positive note is the fact that the team looks to be close to a rescue deal, following recent financial difficulties.
If the rumours are true, it would seem that Craig Pollock, the ex-BAR boss, is now lined up to take over from Tom Walkinshaw as part of this arrangement. Meanwhile, the on-track action had seen the team only 17th and 19th during practice, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen ahead. It seemed that the new track surface was proving tricky for chassis that are generally kind to their tyres. Apparently the Arrows-Cosworth is in that group.
Today’s qualifying session started slowly, with only a few drivers taking to the track in the first 20 minutes. Enrique Bernoldi was one of them, and he put in a lap to place him second, about half a second behind the 1min 17.5sec time of Takuma Sato’s Jordan. After this, the crowd saw action from most of the field, apart from the very top guys, and Bernoldi was pushed down as Heinz-Harald Frentzen started out by going third.
It wasn’t long before the McLarens and the Williams cars got going, and the target time was moved significantly forward. Very soon Frentzen was down to 11th, with Bernoldi 14th, and this was before Michael Schumacher took over the lead with a 1:15.0 in the Ferrari. Many improvements continued to come, and the Arrows cars were down in 16th and 18th positions before they made their second runs.
Bernoldi went out again to push himself up to 13th, about two seconds behind Schumacher, but in no time he was back down in 18th. Frentzen’s run had taken him a couple of tenths ahead of the Brazilian, but this only represented a move from 20th into 15th position.
As the session wound towards it’s climax, the pole time was progressively lowered to 1:14.8 (by Rubens Barrichello), 1:14.6 (Michael again), and then 1:14.5 (by Ralf Schumacher in the Williams-BMW). At this stage, Heinz-Harald was unable to improve on his time, and a 2.3s gap now placed him 18th, with his team-mate one slot behind.
Michael Schumacher eventually finished off the hour by taking pole position with a 1:14.389 lap - obviously a record on the revised circuit design. Meanwhile, Frentzen managed to pick up a tenth or two at the finish, notching up 15th, whilst Bernoldi also made back some ground, ending up 18th.
Hopefully, the new track layout will allow for some overtaking in tomorrow’s race.
Today’s qualifying session started slowly, with only a few drivers taking to the track in the first 20 minutes. Enrique Bernoldi was one of them, and he put in a lap to place him second, about half a second behind the 1min 17.5sec time of Takuma Sato’s Jordan. After this, the crowd saw action from most of the field, apart from the very top guys, and Bernoldi was pushed down as Heinz-Harald Frentzen started out by going third.
It wasn’t long before the McLarens and the Williams cars got going, and the target time was moved significantly forward. Very soon Frentzen was down to 11th, with Bernoldi 14th, and this was before Michael Schumacher took over the lead with a 1:15.0 in the Ferrari. Many improvements continued to come, and the Arrows cars were down in 16th and 18th positions before they made their second runs.
Bernoldi went out again to push himself up to 13th, about two seconds behind Schumacher, but in no time he was back down in 18th. Frentzen’s run had taken him a couple of tenths ahead of the Brazilian, but this only represented a move from 20th into 15th position.
As the session wound towards it’s climax, the pole time was progressively lowered to 1:14.8 (by Rubens Barrichello), 1:14.6 (Michael again), and then 1:14.5 (by Ralf Schumacher in the Williams-BMW). At this stage, Heinz-Harald was unable to improve on his time, and a 2.3s gap now placed him 18th, with his team-mate one slot behind.
Michael Schumacher eventually finished off the hour by taking pole position with a 1:14.389 lap - obviously a record on the revised circuit design. Meanwhile, Frentzen managed to pick up a tenth or two at the finish, notching up 15th, whilst Bernoldi also made back some ground, ending up 18th.
Hopefully, the new track layout will allow for some overtaking in tomorrow’s race.
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