JANUARY 31, 2000

Arrows confirms Jos Verstappen

TOM WALKINSHAW's newly-named Arrows F1 Team has announced that it has signed Jos Verstappen to be PedroÊdeÊlaÊRosa's partner in 2000. Verstappen is rumored to be bringing around $7.5m in backing from a Dutch publishing company, although details of the team's sponsorship have not been announced. De La Rosa's backing comes from the Spanish oil company Repsol YPF. The team unveiled its new Arrows-Supertec A21 for the first time last week at Silverstone. The team hopes that the new car will provide a significant leap forward in performance to help it attract additional sponsorship after a series of lean years.

The team's technical director Mike Coughlan hopes that the new car, which has been designed by Egbahl Hamidy with input from the new Arrows head of research and development Dr. John Davis, will be a significant step forward.

We hear that the consortium which is bidding to buy control of Arrows has not produced enough money at the moment but is in the process of trying to find additional finance. Walkinshaw is not keen to sell but may be forced to do so if he cannot raise more sponsorship this year. The team is still well short of the minimum budget it requires in 2000.

A few good results may make a big difference.