By Huw Alban
August 20 2002

During ITV’s coverage of the Hungarian Grand Prix, a past interview with Max Mosley indicated that if Arrows missed two races in a row then it would lose it’s right to compete in the sport. In an American radio interview, Tom Walkinshaw has hinted that his team might not be at Spa in two weeks time Arrows did not compete in Hungary due to legal advice that suggested that they shouldn’t do anything that might jeopardise the ongoing discussions to save the team financially. It’s kind of ironic that, in 1997, Damon Hill took the lead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, from Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari, in an Arrows... Unfortunately the Briton was denied the win by a hydraulics failure a few laps from the end of the race. Nevertheless, Hungary is always a race that this site remembers as an Arrows race, and it was strange not seeing them there on Sunday.

Arrows has so far irritated the FIA by being late for scrutineering at Silverstone, only running one qualifying lap in France, and now by not turning up at all in Budapest. It is thought that the team must compete normally in Belgium, and for the rest of the season, if it is to retain the rights to compete at all. If those rights are lost then any new potential owner would need to find the $48million bond payable by any new team to the FIA - something that would do nothing to help Arrows look attractive to investors.

During an interview with an American Radio station on Sunday, Tom Walkinshaw was asked whether the team would be competing in Belgium. “All I can say at this point is that, as we speak, our advice hasn’t changed,” he was quoted as replying. This indicates that the legal advisors for Arrows are still insisting that the team remain inside the factory, and do nothing in terms of competing.

This site can only hope that an agreement is found in time for the trucks to leave for Belgium. All indications at this time are that if the team does not, then the future looks very bleak indeed.