OFFICIAL: Arrows announces Frentzen (merged)

[steve nielsen]

Jos to stay at OrangeArrows in 2002
2001-06-23 13:20:00



The OrangeArrows team is delighted to announce today (23rd June 2001) that 29 year-old Dutchman, Jos Verstappen, will continue racing for the team in 2002.

"I'm very happy to be staying for another year", said Verstappen, "as continuity in Formula One can never be underestimated. I have huge confidence in the OrangeArrows team and this shows they have confidence in me too. It's great that we have been able to do this at such an early stage in the season as it motivates me to focus on my driving without worrying about anything else. I would like to say thank you to Tom for having faith in me and providing the stability to help me progress."

After re-joining the team in 2000, Verstappen has made impressive progress, scoring five valuable World Championship points in 2000, and taking OrangeArrows' first point of the 2001 season in Austria just a few weeks ago. A very popular man within the team, he has delighted everyone by his charging driving style. Indeed in the first eight races of the season he has made no less than 59 separate, successful overtaking manoeuvres. More than any other driver.

Commenting on the announcement Team Principal, Tom Walkinshaw, said, "We're extremely happy that Jos has agreed to stay with OrangeArrows. We had an option on him for 2002 and Jos has agreed that we can exercise that option. Jos has shown this year that he is a fantastic racing driver who is improving all the time so we are very much looking forward to seeing him drive this team up the rankings, for the second half of this season and the next."

23rd June 2001, Nürburgring

Tom Walkinshaw can go to hell!!!!!!!

[Mr V]

Originally posted by steve nielsen
Jos to stay at OrangeArrows in 2002
2001-06-23 13:20:00



Tom Walkinshaw can go to hell!!!!!!!

are we to take it that your not a happy bunny then steve!

[steve nielsen]

I'm not happy indeed, I think Tom Walkinshaw can better not show himself in and around Holland for a while, I know at least 15.000 people who want to rip his hart out.

[bulldogspirit]

It seems TW has the man-management skills of Frank Williams, but why has he replaced one has-been with another. If your gonna break a contract with someone (which he shouldn't do anyway) he could have at least recruited someone with potential.

[cos]

from www.grandprix.com , early 1999 and 2001:

IN theory Tom Walkinshaw's Arrows team will be running Mika Salo and Pedro de la Rosa this year but there continue to be well-founded rumors that Salo will be sacrificed by the team so that it can use the $8m which Tora Takagi has available for a drive in 1999. This backing is believed to be from PIAA.

At the moment Arrows has a contract with Salo which means that he should be paid around $2m. By dumping Salo Walkinshaw will, in effect, add $10m to his budget. He will probably have to pay some of Salo's salary but this can be delayed if there is legal action - something which Tom Walkinshaw is quite used to at the moment.

ARROWS confirmed on Wednesday that Pedro de la Rosa has been dropped from the team and will be replaced for the 2001 season by the up-and-coming Brazilian driver Enrique Bernoldi.

Bernoldi, 21, started last season as the official test-driver for Sauber and competed for the Red Bull Junior Team in the F3000 Championship in 2000. After impressive performances in recent tests with Arrows, Bernoldi has now been rewarded with a drive for the team.

Dutchman Jos Verstappen will continue to race for Arrows alongside Bernoldi and De la Rosa is now expected to sign for Minardi, who are still to confirm their driver line-up after Australian businessman Paul Stoddart completed the takeover of the team this week.
Arrows team chief Tom Walkinshaw is delighted with the driver line-up of Verstappen and Bernoldi as he opts for a mix of youth and experience.

"We have a strong, experienced driver in Jos and some young blood with Enrique," said Walkinshaw. "It should prove to be an interesting combination.

"We have been pleased with the feedback and maturity shown by Enrique when testing the car so far and look forward to watching him develop as an F1 driver.
"We would like to thank Pedro for the 100 per cent commitment he has shown to the team in the last two seasons and wish him well for the future."

I do feel sorry for Jos, he's given us fans some great racing this year and last, and now TW's gone and dumped a driver under contract for the third time in 4 years, it's not really on.

[LucaBadoer]

I cant see Jos being without a drive for long. If he goes to Toyota as a test driver, McNish would have to do a great job in his rookie year to keep his race seat.

[Takuma]

The move has definately improved the driving strength of the Arrows team, what was foolish was to sign a contract with Verstappen last season.

Good luck to HHF and Enrique they will need it

[Speedworx]

I have said from day 1 that Jos would be out. Tom didn't like the way he publically bashed Bernoldi and then Jos let his performance slip.

He HAD to go, for the good of the team.

[Mr V]

i'm in agreement with HAKK, i always thought that arrows sould prefer a 3 times gp winner over jos!

i see, according to itv.com both jos and his management were surprised by the decision.......

http://www.itv-f1.com/news/news_story.php3?mediaid=9017


maybe they should join 10-10ths, we could have told em weeks ago!

[Speedworx]

Too true mr v

[Takuma]

Perhaps it just shows the speed that Jos and his management think at!!!!!!!!

[Speedworx]

lol

[Mr V]

Originally posted by Takuma
Perhaps it just shows the speed that Jos and his management think at!!!!!!!!

and thats still quicker than his driving!!!............SORRY

[Crash and Burn]

Sorry but to me this is a mistake... Drop Frentzen

[steve nielsen]

But, this also means that HHF is the next to be dumped by TW, the question is when will the next Arrows driver be stabbed in the back by Tom Walkinshaw??

[paulzinho]

Quite possibly. Although we've been waiting for this for weeks one does feel sorry for Jos. I don't think he should have bashed Bernoldi publically though.

I also think he'll find somewhere soon, shame theres no Prost though.

[steve nielsen]

this was Jos's reaction after TW phoned him with the bad news(long after he confirmed HHF):

Walkinshaw was lucky that he was at a safe distance on the other side of the phone line, otherwise the owner of the Gloucester rugbyclub would have needed his whole teem to be safe from Jos." it was better for him that he did'nt tell this to me face to face" Verstappen told with surpressed rage."he did'nt even have the decency to tell me face to face, but I was at the factory only a few days ago!!". Nothing I heard or seen that day pointed to what happened today.I find it very bad for the sport, I know for sure that Tom would rather have Heinz and me in the team, the sport is now the big looser.besides that I find it very sad for Huub Rothengatter, he feels personaly insulted by Tom Walkinshaw, who you can't trust with contracts.I can't hear the name Walkinshaw ever again, that's for sure!.

(www.telegraaf.nl)

[Takuma]

Walkinshaw wouldn't be the first person to be physically assulted by Verstappen would he?

Surely that, plus his derogatory comments against the team were more than adequate reason to have terminated his contract months ago.

[steve nielsen]

Takuma: like I said before, it was NEVER proved that Jos did what you say. and all that was in 1998, even before Jos drove for Stewart, so TW knew that when he hired Jos in 2000.

[Rimrider]

Come on Steve, whilst I feel sorry for Jos, he and Huub cannot have gone into business with Walkinshaw with their eyes shut. That is very naive when you are dealing with someone with a reputation like TW has got.

A story going around at the moment is that the reason he didn't sell the windtunnel to Jag is because when the paperwork was about to go through and the money paid, Jag found that he didn't own the tunnel!!!!

[paulzinho]

And TW had charged them about double its value!!!

[Toth]

This sucks

Tom Wilkinshaw sucks (thats how the newswoman pronounced his name heheh), I hope the ford engine will suck and that VB's hexes may come true. Tough for HHF and Bernoldi, I mean them no harm, but I hope every arrows stalls on every grid.

I think I need a drink now and I don't care if I end up in the Atlantic.

[Tristan]

Come on then. Let's have a vote: who's better, HHF or Jos??

[steve nielsen]

from planet-f1.com:


Situations Wanted: Former F1 driver seeks new team. Can provide own helmet and own fan club of about 500,000 angry Dutchmen. Seasoned professional, not the greatest of qualifiers but a good racer and marginally fire-proof. No reasonable offer refused. Box 54 Amsterdam

[steve nielsen]

BTW: for those of you who always said that Jos spends to much time in the gravel traps: HHF now has driven 2 days in the A23, and spun into the gravel trap twice already(in 44 laps).