By Huw Alban
August 30 2002

Despite the announcement that the team are well into the process of completing a sale, there still remains the question over who will be Enrique Bernoldi’s team-mate. Heinz-Harald Frentzen left the team amid the uncertainty over it’s future. This site can confirm that Orange Arrows have arrived in Belgium at this time, and that the team garages are all set up and waiting to be used. The two cars where submitted for scrutineering on time yesterday (Thursday) and passed with no problems.

There had been a small amount of speculation, since Wednesday’s announcement, that Heinz-Harald would be returning to the team for the Spa race, but the German has not been spotted in the Belgian paddock so far, and a brief statement from his manager denied that this would happen. The team, however, still listed Frentzen as the number two driver when the A23 cars were submitted on Thursday.

It had been thought that Fernando Alonso was in with a good chance of securing the drive, but it is believed that a wrangle between the two rival tyre suppliers, Bridgestone and Michelin, has scuppered any potential deal. Arrows run on the Japanese rubber whilst Renault, for whom Fernando is the official test driver, have a deal with the French company.

This leaves the identity of the number two driver a mystery at this time. This site and the fans will just have to wait until the team take to the track during free practice in Belgium to see who it will be.