Arrows A9

The Arrows A9 was a Formula One car which the Arrows team used to compete in the 1986 Formula One season. It was powered by the massively-powerful BMW M12/13 turbocharged inline-four engine. Unlike the BMWs used by the Brabham and Benetton teams whose engines were maintained and updated regularly by BMW, the Arrows engines were maintained by Swiss engine guru Heini Mader and were rated as the least powerful of the BMW runners.

Arrows A9
CategoryFormula One
ConstructorArrows
Designer(s)Dave Wass
PredecessorA8
SuccessorA10
Technical specifications
ChassisCarbon fibre monocoque
Axle trackFront: 1,854 mm (73.0 in)
Rear: 1,676 mm (66.0 in)
Wheelbase2,921 mm (115.0 in)
EngineBMW M12/13, 1,500 cc (91.5 cu in), inline-four, turbocharged, mid-engine, longitudinally mounted
TransmissionArrows / Hewland 6-speed manual
Weight540 kg (1,190 lb)
FuelCastrol
TyresGoodyear
Competition history
Notable entrantsBarclay Arrows BMW
Notable drivers17. Christian Danner
18. Thierry Boutsen
Debut1986 German Grand Prix
RacesWinsPolesF.Laps
3000
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0

The A9 was supposed to replace the ageing A8 car, but it turned out to be worse than its predecessor. The new car was the team's first carbon composite chassis, built by British Aerospace but delays in manufacture caused the car to be late. Its lack of performance caused Dave Wass to quit Arrows.[1]

Because of this, the team stuck with the A8 from the previous season. As a result, the A9 only saw action at three races, at the German and Austrian Grands Prix, in the hands of Thierry Boutsen, in both of these races the car failed to finish after its turbocharger failed.

At the Hungarian Grand Prix teammate Christian Danner raced the A9 but retired after 7 laps with rear suspension failure.

The Arrows team found that the rear end was the major problem with the A9 and for a couple of races it was run with its new front end joined to the rear end of the A8. While this actually improved the performance of the new car, Arrows soon returned to running the older A8 for the balance of the season.[2]

Arrows finished the season in 10th place, with a single point, earned by Boutsen's teammate Christian Danner in Austria while driving the A8.

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Engine Tyres Drivers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Points WCC
1986 Barclay Arrows BMW BMW M12 S4 (t/c) G BRA ESP SMR MON BEL CAN DET FRA GBR GER HUN AUT ITA POR MEX AUS 1* 10th
Thierry Boutsen Ret Ret
Christian Danner Ret

* scored with the Arrows A8

References
  1. "Dave Wass". www.grandprix.com. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  2. "Arrows A9". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 18 July 2020.


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