JULY 27, 1998

Barnard's uncertain future

TOM WALKINSHAW and John Barnard are rumored to have fallen out in dramatic fashion over the details of the contract between them. Barnard joined Arrows as technical director 15 months ago and has largely revamped the Arrows technical departments at Leafield. In recent months we have heard an increasing number of stories suggesting that the two have fallen out over the amount of money Barnard has been spending and now we hear there are contractual problems relating to Barnard's involvement in B3 Technologies, a company which supplies various parts to Prost Grand Prix and to Ferrari. This is based in the old Ferrari Design and Development building in Shalford, Surrey.

Walkinshaw refuses to talk about any problems - there are even stories that there is an injunction restraining Barnard from involvement in B3 - and will only say that: "we have a contract and we are sticking to it".

If Barnard and Walkinshaw do split it is expected that Barnard will immediately start work as a consultant engineer with Alain Prost. At the moment he is understood to be on "extended holiday" from Arrows.