One Hour, and 31 odd minutes into the Grand Prix of Japan, a thought struck myself. This was the last lap Damon Hill would ever likely complete in a Williams. Just as likely the last lap he might ever complete in the lead of a race.
As has been well documented by the Motor sport world, and indeed followed heavily by the regular press, Damon Hill has ended his career with Williams, and departs for the new shores of Arrows Grand Prix International.
Arrows. The team first debuted in 1978, and in the 288 Grands Prix they have competed in, 1 Pole position and an average of slightly under 0.5 points per race is all Arrows has to show for their lengthy career.
Well, I’ll come clean. The thing that annoys me, and most commentators of the Formula One world is that the Arrows and Hill hookup was so obvious we had overlooked it all along.
Wait a minute. Didn’t I just assert that Hill is moving from the best Team In Formula One to one of the worst ?
Well, he is, and yet again he isn’t. Arrows history to date is not anything wonderful, but that could be about to change. Regular readers may remember my rating of Tom Walkinshaw, and his engineering excellence. Tom Walkinshaw is the individual that turned Benetton from a once a season winner, in to World Champions, all in the space of 3 years. Given time, I see no reason Arrows can’t not also climb this mantle.
Time.
That’s the real question. Just how long will it take for Arrows to deliver Hill back to the front end of the grid ?
Don’t confuse this years challenger, with the potential of next years. The Arrows-Hart debuted well at the start of the season, with Jos Verstappen impressing myself, and others. Gradually, since the takeover of Arrows by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR), the team has slipped further, and further down the grid. So far in fact, qualifying out of the back two rows of the grid, has been somewhat of a celebration.
I know what you are thinking. TWR has failed in their quest to advance Arrows. Wrong.
What has happened, is that TWR has pushed aside the 1996 Car, in favor of an all out effort for 1997., somewhat similar to the approach of Benetton. Faced with a car which is not bad, but on the other hand which is not good either, both these teams have elected to write this year off, and concentrate on getting next years car out early.
The winners will be Arrows and Hill, the losers are unfortunately this years drivers.
A short time back, someone gave Martin Brundle an unfortunate title. Of course, I’m not speaking of the 1988 Sports Car World Champion, but they awful tag "The best number 2 in the business". In a similar vein Hill has unfortunately earned the description "the best test driver in the business." It’s this, and of course his recently acquired number 1 which Tom Walkinshaw hopes to exploit.
The TWR effort, both in the car design, and now the Yamaha engine, has been mated with a driver who has the technical ability to improve a car. The combination has the potential to really make a huge leap over the middle order of Formula 1. On the other hand, Hill could have saved himself the bother, and joined a team which was already there.
The choice of Arrows over Jordan is really a calculated risk on Hill’s part. Jordan were somewhat shocked that Hill turned them down. Mark Gallagher of Jordan talks of the Friday morning of Hill’s announcement in his excellent "Inside Line" column on Compuserve's Motor Sports Forum:
Jordan have now for two years been bubbling just under the surface. Threatening to emerge from their cocoon and take on the established big four. The expectation of Hill joining this team would have been high - perhaps too high for what is realistic to expect out of the team for next year.
So next year, when the cameras follow the fight for the title, keep an eye out for the car with the Number 1 on the front. It might not be as far back as you might expect...