By Huw Alban
August 31 2002

The UK TV station ITV covered the events surrounding the Arrows team at Spa in quite some detail today in their qualifying programme. The underlying tone of the commentary hinted strongly that Arrows would probably not be punished for missing another race. ITV F1’s front man, Jim Rosenthal, attempted to set the scene firmly in the negative but co-commentator Tony Jardine disagreed with that view.

“Quite a few people are getting a bit fed up with this story, and I think the governing body are as well,” Rosenthal said after a summary of events given by Ted Kravitz.

“Well, they have lost patience,” admitted Tony Jardine. “I was talking to them this morning, and a letter has gone in (to the team to explain their actions over the last few races) and I believe that they have got to answer it by next Tuesday.

“The last thing they (the governing body) wanted them (Arrows) to do was, as in France, attempt to qualify and not actually make a good job of it and bring the sport into disrepute,” Jardine continued. “If they have the signatures of all the teams then they could let them (Arrows) off, and be lenient with them in the future.”

James Allen agreed with that view in his qualifying session commentary, and added that the governing body do take the human cost into consideration in any decision. “The FIA are playing it straight at the moment,” he said this afternoon. “They want to try and be as tolerant as possible. They are aware that there are over 300 people employed by the team and they have a fantastic team spirit.”

Martin Brundle described Arrows absence from the pit garages at Spa as a “missing tooth,” and summarised that all the British teams are feeling the money pinch in Formula One at the moment.

There has been little public reaction from the FIA as to Arrows’ actions. It is understood that the sport’s governing body has written to the team demanding a written explanation as to their actions starting at the British Grand Prix. They have given the team until Tuesday of next week to respond.

It is generally thought that the team does have the support of the grid and, as such, Arrows look as if they could just scrape through. “Our subsequent action will be based on Arrows’ response,” said Richard Woods, the FIA’s director of communications to The Guardian newspaper.