Arrows A18

The Arrows A18 was the car with which the Arrows Formula One team competed in the 1997 Formula One World Championship. It was driven by Briton Damon Hill, the reigning World Champion who had made the surprising move to the team after being dropped by Williams, and Brazilian Pedro Diniz, who had moved from Ligier.

Arrows A18

Damon Hill driving the A18 at the 1997 Hungarian Grand Prix
Category	Formula One
Constructor	Arrows
Designer(s)	Frank Dernie (Technical Director) (initially) John Barnard (Technical Director) Paul Bowen (Chief Designer) Simon Jennings (Head of Aerodynamics)
Predecessor	Footwork FA17
Successor	A19
Technical specifications
Chassis	carbon-fibre and honeycomb composite structure
Suspension (front)	double wishbones, pushrod
Suspension (rear)	double wishbones, pushrod
Engine	Yamaha OX11C/D 72-degree V10
Transmission	Arrows/Xtrac six-speed longitudinal sequential semi-automatic
Power	700 hp @ 14,000 rpm[1]
Fuel	Petroscience
Lubricants	Shell
Tyres	Bridgestone
Competition history
Notable entrants	Danka Arrows Yamaha
Notable drivers	1. Damon Hill 2. Pedro Diniz
Debut	1997 Australian Grand Prix
Last event	1997 European Grand Prix
Races Wins Podiums Poles F/Laps 17 0 1 0 0
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0

The A18 was launched in January 1997. 1997 marked a new beginning for the team, with two new drivers, a new engine supplier in Yamaha with the engines tuned by John Judd and new tyres supplied by Bridgestone, supplied under an exclusive deal.^[2] The team moved from old premises in Milton Keynes to TWR's purpose-built factory in Leafield.^[3] The year also marked the first full season for Tom Walkinshaw's outfit TWR in running the team, as the Scotsman had bought it from one of its founders, Jackie Oliver during 1996.^[4]

After a disastrous start to the season which saw the cars almost fail to make the grid in Australia, the team improved, hiring John Barnard as Technical Director. The A18 was proven to be woefully unreliable, despite Walkinshaw's claims that he had wanted a simple and basic chassis design.^[5] Damon Hill stated in his autobiography that the car was good to drive but lacked downforce.^[6] Hill scored a point at Silverstone, but the highlight of the year came at the Hungarian GP, where he qualified third and led for most of the race. The failure of a throttle linkage component saw him drop behind Jacques Villeneuve on the final lap, although second place was still a great success for the team. Diniz also scored two points at the Nürburgring.^[7]

The team eventually finished eighth in the Constructors' Championship, with nine points.