Arrows A22

Overview

The A22 was a development of the previous year's A21, with the front suspension changed from a pullrod to a pushrod arrangement while the two cars were otherwise almost identical. The project was hampered by a change of engine supplier for the second consecutive year. The deal was exclusive and cheap, and technical director Mike Coughlan believed the new engine suited the chassis better. Initial testing took place in August 2000, and Jos Verstappen was initially enthused.

However, the engine was less powerful than its predecessor and suffered reliability problems; the car barely completed a lap during its initial shakedown. The team equipped the car with a very small fuel tank, leading to several high-profile low-fuel strategies. Verstappen used the light car to good effect in the opening stages of many Grands Prix, and despite generally being outqualified by Bernoldi, his race pace was much quicker. The strategy secured only one point, at the Austrian GP.

Verstappen was involved in an incident with race-leading Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya at Interlagos, taking the Colombian out and incurring a $15,000 fine. Verstappen publicly criticised Bernoldi, calling him the worst teammate he had ever had, in contrast to his predecessor Pedro de la Rosa. An elevated front wing tried in practice at Monaco was immediately banned by the FIA on safety grounds. The race is remembered for Bernoldi holding up David Coulthard's McLaren for nearly 40 laps, prompting public criticism from Coulthard.