Arrows A11 Explained

Car Name:Arrows A11
Arrows A11B
Footwork A11C
Category:Formula One
Constructor:Arrows
Designer:Ross Brawn
James Robinson
Predecessor:A10B
Successor:FA12
Team:Arrows Grand Prix International
Footwork Arrows Racing
Drivers:9. Derek Warwick
10. Eddie Cheever
9. Michele Alboreto
10. Bernd Schneider
10. Alex Caffi
Technical Ref:[1]
Chassis:Carbon fibre and kevlar monocoque
Engine Name:-: mid-engine, longitudinally mounted, 34931NaN1, Ford DFR, 90° V8, NA
: mid-engine, longitudinally mounted, 34991NaN1, Porsche 3512, 80° V12, NA
Gearbox Name:Arrows / Hewland
Fuel: Mobil
Elf
Shell
Tyres:Goodyear
Debut:1989 Brazilian Grand Prix
Last Event:1991 San Marino Grand Prix
Races:35
Podiums:1
Cons Champ:0
Drivers Champ:0
Wins:0
Poles:0
Fastest Laps:0

The Arrows A11 was a Formula One car with which the Arrows team competed in the and Formula One seasons, and at the start of the season (badged as a Footwork).

Designed by Ross Brawn, the A11 was the first Arrows car following the ban on turbocharged engines at the end of, being fitted with a normally-aspirated 3.5-litre Ford Cosworth DFR V8 engine. It was raced to reasonably good effect by Derek Warwick and Eddie Cheever in 1989, Warwick finishing in the top six on five occasions and briefly challenging for victory in the Canadian Grand Prix, and Cheever finishing third in the United States Grand Prix, held in his home town of Phoenix, Arizona. With 13 points, Arrows placed seventh in the Constructors' Championship.

For 1990, the car received minor suspension upgrades and became the A11B, while Italian drivers Michele Alboreto and Alex Caffi replaced Warwick and Cheever. 1990 turned out to be far less successful than 1989, however, as the car failed to qualify seven times, and finished in the top six only once, when Caffi took fifth at an attritional race in Monaco. Caffi was also forced to sit out the United States and Spanish races through injury, Germany's Bernd Schneider deputising on both occasions. The two points from Monaco gave Arrows ninth in the Constructors' Championship.

By the start of 1991, the team had been taken over by the Japanese Footwork concern and renamed accordingly, and had also secured a deal to run Porsche V12 engines, replacing the Fords. However, the team's car for that season, the FA12, had to be redesigned when it was discovered that the large Porsche engine, the 3512, could not fit into it. The team therefore modified the A11B into the A11C to accommodate this engine, and used it in the first two races, as well as at San Marino after Alboreto destroyed his redesigned FA12 during practice.[2] From these five attempts, the ageing car qualified only once (Alboreto in the United States), before being finally retired.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

YearEntrantChassisEngineTyresDrivers12345678910111213141516PointsWCC
Arrows Grand Prix InternationalArrows A11Ford DFR V8BRASMRMONMEXUSACANFRAGBRGERHUNBELITAPORESPJPNAUS137th
Derek Warwick55RetRetRetRet96106RetRet96Ret
Martin Donnelly12
Eddie CheeverRet9773Ret7DNQ125RetDNQRetRet8Ret
Arrows Grand Prix InternationalArrows A11
Arrows A11B
Ford DFR V8USABRASMRMONCANMEXFRAGBRGERHUNBELITAPORESPJPNAUS29th
Michele Alboreto10RetDNQDNQRet1710RetRet121312910RetDNQ
Bernd Schneider12DNQ
Alex CaffiRetDNQ58DNQRet799109139DNQ
Footwork Arrows RacingFootwork A11CPorsche 3512 V12USABRASMRMONCANMEXFRAGBRGERHUNBELITAPORESPJPNAUS0-
Alex CaffiDNQDNQ
Michele AlboretoRetDNQDNQ

Notes and References

  1. Web site: STATS F1 • Arrows A11 . Statsf1.com . 2010-08-23.
  2. Web site: Unfancy Footwork - Porsche's Epic 1991 F1 Fail . Formula One Rejects . 2013-05-22 . 2013-10-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131017202827/http://www.f1rejects.com/centrale/footworkporsche/index.html . dead .