Australian GP: Arrows race notes

The OrangeArrows team had a bad start to the 2002 Formula One season in Melbourne today. Both A23s stalled on the grid after suffering the same electrical problem. After the first corner accident involving many cars, most thought the race would be restarted but that wasn’t the case. Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi’s cars were moved from the grid to the pitlane exit in order the join the race.

The team was able to successfully start Heinz-Harald’s car and he re-joined the race but Enrique had to return to the garage for the T-car. Unfortunately Heinz-Harald was later black-flagged as the pit-lane was closed when he rejoined the race and Enrique joined him a few laps later when he was black-flagged for using the T-car after the race had started.

The team is now packing up, ready for the trip to Malaysia where it hopes to have a much better weekend.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen
“ Well my engine just stopped on the grid and that was really the end of it for me. I just didn’t see the red light at the end of the pitlane - it was a mistake. There’s not really much else to say apart from that it can only get better from here.”

Enrique Bernoldi
“ It’s a bad start to the year for the whole team. Looking at how the race finished we could have been in the points today. We tried to get back into the race in the T-car but it was over for us. A difficult start.”

Mike Coughlan, Technical Director, OrangeArrows
“ Today was a missed opportunity - there were points there for the taking. Believe me when I say this is one mistake we will learn from!”

Heinz-Harald Frentzen
Position Black Flag
Chassis No A23-01

Enrique Bernoldi
Position Black Flag
Chassis No A23-03 (T-Car)

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