By Huw Alban
July 22 2002

One of the big voices in the Formula 1 paddock has thrown their weight behind Tom Walkinshaw’s efforts at keeping his team alive, as has a ‘leading team figure’ in the pitlane. The media’s efforts to stir up trouble over the French qualifying lap has also been dismissed as ‘short sighted’.

Whilst the media stoke up the old “there’s no news like bad news” cliché, McLaren boss Ron Dennis has spoken out in support of the Arrows team’s actions in France, backing the legal nature of what happened.

DailyF1News.com have quoted Dennis as saying, “What the Arrows team did was the minimum amount to actually qualify as having competed in the event. That’s quite important because everyone in the pit lane knows that they are in negotiations to sell the team, and that there is a significant penalty laid down in the Concorde Agreement for missing an event.

“What they achieved during the event was the avoidance of that penalty and therefore help in selling the team. The important thing is that the team survives and if that is the case I think we can come to terms with the downside,” he concluded.

Ron also appeared confident that the Arrows team would be back in action by Hockenheim as he apparently has “Some knowledge of what’s going on.”

In addition an anonymous leading team figure has slammed the media’s response to Arrows’ behaviour this weekend. “Anyone stupid enough to criticise them in this situation does not deserve the respect of fellow commentators.

“The short-sighted belief that they should have contested the weekend as normal demonstrates a total lack of knowledge of the situation, a complete lack of commercial and legal knowledge, and a void of insight and wisdom.

“Tom and the Arrows team need support from the entire sport if we want to see them and Formula One progress.”

The team can rest assured that they have the full support of this site and the majority of it’s visitors. We hope to see the team fully running for Heinz-Harald Frentzen’s home race next Sunday, and welcome the co-support from up and down the grid.

Go, go Arrows!