By Huw Alban
June 5 2002

Last year OrangeArrows struggled all through practice and qualifying in Canada, but in the race the team suddenly found form only to be robbed of a points scoring finish by brake failure. Can 2002 prove more hopeful ? This site is optimistic that it can ! The 2001 Canadian Grand Prix was very unlucky for the OrangeArrows team, made worse by the fact that it got off to such a good start. At the race start Jos Verstappen made an absolute blinder, running in eighth place after the first few corners. Enrique Bernoldi also made ground during the first lap, gaining one place. Jos’ first lap dash didn’t finish at eighth - tucking up close behind the Ferrari-powered Sauber of Kimi Räikkönen, he swept out and undertook the Finnish rookie at the notorious Turn 15. Seventh at the end of the first lap !

Enrique made an early unscheduled stop at the end of lap nine. After the race it emerged that his engine temperatures were soaring wildly, and the stop was a precautionary one to clear away any débris from the radiators.

On lap 20 Rubens Barrichello and Juan Pablo Montoya both retired in a spectacular crash, which brought out the safety car for four laps. On the lap that the safety car pulled in, Jos Verstappen surprisingly made his first pit stop. It was a good stop, but the accelerating field had streamed away and Jos rejoined the race in 15th and last place.

Shortly after Jos’ stop, Enrique pulled into the garage to retire. Apparently his engine temperatures were still rising and the team made the difficult call to pull him from the race. After they were able to investigate the cause, it was found to have been a hamburger wrapper that had become lodged in the radiator. Arrows Technical Director, Mike Coughlan, said “(we) would ask the spectators to use the litter bins next time!”

On lap 27 Jos caught up with the back of the field and quickly overtook the Minardi of Tarso Marquès for 13th. After that a succession of pit stops rapidly promoted the Dutchman up the field. By lap 48 it was time for Jos’ second and last stop and he was in a strong fourth place. He took back to the track in ninth and, for the next 13 laps, a strong drive, coupled with retirements, catapulted Jos up the order again.

On lap 66 Jos’ front brakes gave out completely as he braked for a corner. With the rear brakes working only, the rear of the car snapped around and he slithered sideways into the tyre wall terminally damaging his car. Despite retiring four laps before the end Jos was classified as finishing tenth in the race. A bitter disappointment for both driver and team after a very gritty drive.

The Canadian track is renowned for being a car breaker, and it would probably be fair to say that this will be a worry for all the teams. In the last few races the reliability of the Cosworth/A23 package has been good - although Enrique did experience a dramatic engine failure on the last day of the Silverstone test, which worries this site slightly. The car has bags of downforce and seems to be suited to all types of circuit regardless of characteristics, although this circuit is very bumpy which tends to unsettle the car. Heinz-Harald has painful memories of this track as an accident here last year left him unable to compete in the race proper - hopefully there will not be a repeat of this in 2002.

This site is quietly optimistic of a strong race for the team, especially from Heinz-Harald. The only worry is reliability, and perhaps the team being able to dial the car into the circuit enough to reduce the effect of the bumpy surface especially in qualifying trim.