Australian GP Arrows race notes

The Australian Grand Prix started off well for the Arrows Supertec A21s of Jos Verstappen and Pedro de la Rosa with them 10th and 12th respectively by the end of lap one. The cars ran well and were 9th and 10th by the end of lap six, but sadly this is when an identical front suspension problem on both cars struck and led to them retiring. Pedro was the first to go on lap seven with a spectacular accident from which he escaped unscathed, while Jos came in at the end of the lap, had repairs made, went out again but just a few laps later was called in by the team for safety reasons.

Jos Verstappen: "I had a reasonable start and going into the second corner decided to go to the right and passed three cars there, which was a good move. During the race it was obvious our cars were very good at top speed and it was great to be able to pass people. I had a scary moment due to a problem with the front steering arm and had to come in. The team changed that part, but when Pedro got back to the pits they decided to pull me out of the race so not to risk the driver or the car. I was very pleased with the car and think it is looking good for this season."

Pedro de la Rosa: "Until the accident it was a good race for us. It was a shame, but there was nothing I could do the car just went straight and I couldn't turn. The first laps were good with overtaking and we were really going very well. Looking at the race result it would have been interesting for us as we are definitely competitive."

Tom Walkinshaw: "Of course I am disappointed with the outcome of the race. When I see how many cars have retired I know we could have been in the points. However, the cars ran well in the early laps and both drivers were able to overtake. We are now confident that we have competitive cars and that the A21 and Supertec package is working well."