Footwork Arrows was a British Formula One team that competed from 1991 to 1996. In 1990, Japanese businessman Wataru Ohashi, president of Footwork Express Co., Ltd., a Japanese logistics company, began heavily investing in the Arrows team. This investment, following his sponsorship of a Japanese Formula 3000 team, required the cars to display the Footwork logo prominently. The team was officially renamed Footwork in 1991 and secured a deal to use Porsche engines. However, the results were disappointing, and after just six races, Footwork replaced the Porsche engines with Hart-built Ford engines.
Notable Team Members and Drivers
Wataru Ohashi: Japanese businessman and president of Footwork Express Co., Ltd. He invested heavily in the Arrows team in 1990, leading to the team’s rebranding as Footwork in 1991.
Jackie Oliver: Former racing driver and team principal Jackie Oliver retained operational control of the team throughout the Footwork era.
Alan Jenkins: As the technical director, Alan Jenkins was responsible for designing the team’s cars, including the FA13, FA14, and FA15 chassis.
In 1992, Footwork switched to Mugen engines. The team retained the Footwork name until Ohashi withdrew his financial support before the 1996 season, after which the team reverted to the Arrows name. Throughout this period, Jackie Oliver maintained operational control of the team.
1991
The Arrows team was officially renamed Footwork for the 1991 season. The season started with the A11C chassis powered by Porsche engines, but after neither Michele Alboreto nor Alex Caffi qualified in Brazil, a reshuffle occurred. Alan Rees was appointed financial director, and John Wickham became team manager. The prototype FA12 appeared but was destroyed when its suspension failed at the notorious Tamburello turn at Imola, resulting in Alboreto breaking his foot. Caffi damaged another new car at Monaco and was subsequently injured in a road accident, leading to Stefan Johansson replacing him for several races.
In June, the team switched from the unsuccessful Porsche engines to Hart-prepared Cosworth DFR engines. Despite a year without scoring points, which forced them to pre-qualify mid-season, the team rarely appeared in races in the latter half of the year. Nevertheless, they opened a 40%-scale wind tunnel at Milton Keynes.
1992
For the 1992 season, Aguri Suzuki joined the team, bringing Mugen V10 engines. The FA13 chassis, designed by Alan Jenkins, was conventional and straightforward. Alboreto scored points four times, finishing 5th in the 1992 Spanish Grand Prix and 1992 San Marino Grands Prix, and 6th in the 1992 Brazilian Grand Prix and 1992 Portuguese Grand Prix. The team ended the season with six points, tying for 7th place with Ligier in the Constructors’ Championship.
1993
In 1993, Derek Warwick replaced Alboreto and joined Suzuki with Mugen engines and a new FA14 chassis. The season was disappointing, with Warwick scoring all four points: a 6th place at the British Grand Prix and a 4th place at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Footwork’s best result until late 1995. The team finished 9th in the Constructors’ Championship. At the end of the season, Ohashi withdrew his sponsorship, leading to the loss of Mugen engines and a return to Ford V8s for 1994.
1994
Although Footwork logos disappeared from the cars, the team continued to be recognised as Footwork by the FIA, as Ohashi still owned shares. Jenkins designed the FA15 for drivers Gianni Morbidelli and Christian Fittipaldi, but financial constraints were severe. The FA15 attracted attention, with Fittipaldi finishing 4th at the 1994 Pacific Grand Prix and running third at Monaco until his gearbox failed. The team struggled with reliability but managed a 4th and 5th place finish in Germany. Due to Schumacher’s disqualification at the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix, Morbidelli was promoted to 6th. Footwork finished 9th in the 1994 Constructors’ Championship with nine points. Fittipaldi left for the IndyCar World Series, and Wickham was replaced by Alan Harrison for 1995.
1995
Facing financial difficulties, the team hired pay driver Taki Inoue to partner Morbidelli in the Jenkins-designed FA16. Mid-season, financial constraints led to Morbidelli being replaced by Max Papis, although Morbidelli returned for the last three races and secured Footwork’s first and only podium in Adelaide. This result, along with a 6th place in Canada, allowed Footwork to finish 8th in the 1995 Constructors’ Championship, tied with Tyrrell but placed higher due to better finishes. At the end of the year, Jackie Oliver and Alan Rees bought back Ohashi’s shares with help from Schwäbische Finanz & Unternehmensberatung AG.
1996
In March 1996, Tom Walkinshaw acquired a controlling interest in the team by buying out Rees. Walkinshaw controlled 40% of the shares, with associate Peter Darnbrough buying 11%, and Oliver retaining 49%. The team was renamed TWR Arrows for the rest of the 1996 season but continued to be recognized as Footwork by the FIA. Jos Verstappen scored a 6th place in the Argentine Grand Prix, the last point for Footwork in Formula 1. The team finished 9th in the Constructors’ Championship.
Aftermath
In 2001, Ohashi’s company was involved in a fraud scandal that bankrupted the company. One year later, the TWR-operated Arrows team also collapsed due to financial problems.
Footwork Arrows Formula One World Championship Records
| First entry | 1991 United States Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| Races Entered | 97 (91 starts) |
| Constructors’ Championships | 0 |
| Drivers’ Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 0 |
| Podiums | 1 |
| Points | 25 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Final entry | 1996 Japanese Grand Prix |
Footwork Arrows Championship Results
| Year | Name | Car | Drivers | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Footwork Porsche | A11C FA12 | Michele Alboreto Alex Caffi Stefan Johansson | 0 | NC |
| Footwork Ford | FA12C | Michele Alboreto Alex Caffi Stefan Johansson | 0 | NC | |
| 1992 | Footwork Mugen Honda | FA13 | Michele Alboreto Aguri Suzuki | 6 | 7th |
| 1993 | Footwork Mugen Honda | FA13B FA14 | Derek Warwick Aguri Suzuki | 4 | 9th |
| 1994 | Footwork Hart | FA15 | Christian Fittipaldi Gianni Morbidelli | 9 | 9th |
| 1995 | Footwork Hart | FA16 | Gianni Morbidelli Max Papis Taki Inoue | 5 | 8th |
| 1996 | Footwork Hart | FA17 | Ricardo Rosset Jos Verstappen | 1 | 9th |
