OCTOBER 14, 1996

...Tom's technical team

TOM WALKINSHAW has long been rumored to be looking for a new technical director for the TWR Arrows team, but for the moment he has placed his trust in Frank Dernie, giving the Englishman the go-ahead to hire anyone he wants to get the job done. The 1997 design is already well-advanced with the design team headed by TWR's chief designer Paul Bowen, who was previously chief engineer at Arrows before Walkinshaw bought the team. His design staff - which is now based at TWR's Leafield base - includes six engineers from the old Arrows drawing office and seven TWR designers, most of whom were working with Walkinshaw and Dernie at Ligier last winter.

The aerodynamics is being done at the old Arrows windtunnel at Milton Keynes by Simon Jennings (of Arrows) and EricÊLacotte (of Ligier). The team is looking for a new head of research and development and the word in the Suzuka paddock was that McLaren's Pat Fry is top of the list. Highly-rated Australian engineer Chris Dyer is also joining the team from TWR's Holden Racing Team. Tom's plans for the longer term are still being discussed. There are said to have been talks with JohnÊBarnard although such an alliance does not seem very likely.