Arrows A21

Arrows A21

Jos Verstappen driving the A21 during the 2000 Italian Grand Prix
Category	Formula One
Constructor	Arrows
Designers	Mike Coughlan (Technical Director) Eghbal Hamidy (Chief Designer) John Davis (Head of R&D) Simon Jennings (Head of Aerodynamics)
Predecessor	A20
Successor	A22
Technical specifications [1]
Chassis	Moulded carbon fibre composite structure
Suspension (front)	Double wishbones, in-board spring dampers, pullrod
Suspension (rear)	Double wishbones, in-board spring dampers, pushrod
Engine	Supertec FB02 (Renault) 71-degree V10
Transmission	Arrows/Xtrac carbon-fibre six-speed longitudinal sequential semi-automatic
Power	780 hp @ 15,800 rpm [2]
Fuel	Elf [note 1]
Tyres	Bridgestone
Competition history
Notable entrants	Arrows F1 Team
Notable drivers	18. Pedro de la Rosa 19. Jos Verstappen
Debut	2000 Australian Grand Prix
Last event	2000 Malaysian Grand Prix
Races Wins Poles F/Laps 17 0 0 0
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0

The Arrows A21 was the car with which the Arrows Formula One team competed in the 2000 Formula One World Championship. It was driven by Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa, in his second year with the team, and experienced Dutchman Jos Verstappen, who had driven for the team in its Footwork guise in 1996.

Overview

Design and development

The A21 was a completely new design by Coughlan and Eghbal Hamidy, who had designed the very similar looking Stewart SF3. The A21 benefitted from the revised Supertec engine and an excellent aerodynamic package with a much lower centre of gravity over its predecessor. ^[3] Work on the car started early as the team switched its focus from the aged A20 car. ^[4] A major injection of sponsorship from cell phone company Orange helped fund further development throughout the season. ^[5] Paul Stoddart's European Aviation also became sponsors, providing logistical and transportation support in addition to Stoddart's F3000 squad effectively becoming Arrows' junior team. ^[6]

Racing history

The car proved to be very promising after the catastrophic 1999 season, but was too unreliable to score more than a handful of points-scoring finishes. Breaking the lap record in pre-season testing at Barcelona confirmed the car's potential. ^[7] De la Rosa looked set for podium finishes at Hockenheim and the A1-Ring, but lost time after a spin in the former and suffered a gearbox failure in the latter. ^[8] Verstappen also produced a number of impressive performances, including a memorable drive through the field in changeable weather conditions in Canada. His season culminated in fourth place at Monza. The A21 was also noted for consistently having amongst the highest straight-line speed of any car in the 2000 season. Both Verstappen and De La Rosa enjoyed driving the car, and both enthused about how fast it was, while Verstappen conceded that it was not at its best on high downforce tracks. ^[9]

Verstappen and De la Rosa enjoyed a good working relationship and the Dutchman was keen to remain with the team going forward. ^[10]

During the season, the team was the focus of a television documentary show, Racing Arrows. The series featured 13 episodes which followed the progress of the team and drivers throughout the season and was broadcast by British channel ITV in 2001. ^[11]

The team eventually finished seventh in the Constructors' Championship, with seven points. ^[12]

Arrows AX-3

In 2001, Arrows took one of the A21s and modified it into a 3-seater and retaining the original V10 engine. The project was designated as the Arrows AX-3 and used for the demonstration most recently in the Adelaide Motorsport Festival.

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results in bold indicate pole position)

Year	Entrant	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Points	WCC
2000	Arrows F1 Team	Supertec V10	B		AUS	BRA	SMR	GBR	ESP	EUR	MON	CAN	FRA	AUT	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	USA	JPN	MAL	7	7th
				Pedro de la Rosa	Ret	8	Ret	Ret	Ret	6	DNS	Ret	Ret	Ret	6	16	16	Ret	Ret	12	Ret
				Jos Verstappen	Ret	7	14	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	5	Ret	Ret	Ret	13	15	4	Ret	Ret	10
Sources: [13] [14]

Notes

1. Repsol YPF branding appeared on the A21, but the car used Elf fuel and lubricants. ^[1]

References

1. "Repsol And A20 Continue To Paint Picture For Arrow". crash.net. crash.net. 13 February 1999. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
2. "Engine Supertec • STATS F1".
3. "The Orange Arrows A21s Were The Very Best Of The Formula 1 Team's Race Cars". petrolicious.com. 3 October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
4. "Arrows A21". www.f1technical.net. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
5. "Arrows A21 Car for Sale". Memento Exclusives. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
6. "European Confirmed As Arrows Juniors". crash.net. 9 December 1999. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
7. "February Test Times Analysis". www.atlasf1.com. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
8. "The Orange Arrows A21s Were The Very Best Of The Formula 1 Team's Race Cars". 3 October 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
9. "The 2000 Teams Review". Atlas F1. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
10. "Verstappen -- "I want to stay at Arrows"". www.grandprix.com. 25 August 2000. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
11. "Racing Arrows (partially found Formula One TV series; 2001) - The Lost Media Wiki". lostmediawiki.com. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
12. Jones, Bruce (2001). "2000 Final Tables". The Official Grand Prix Guide 2001 . London, England: Carlton Books. pp. 120–121. ISBN   1-84222-197-3 – via Internet Archive.
13. "All championship race entries, in an Arrows A21". ChicaneF1. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
14. "Arrows A21". StatsF1. Retrieved 20 January 2025.