Arrows risk expulsion from World Championship

Troubled Formula One team Arrows could risk being booted out of the World Championship if they do not make a serious attempt to qualify for this weekend’s German Grand Prix.

The Oxfordshire-based outfit will face being charged with acting against the spirit of competition if they repeat last weekend’s actions in France when they failed to make the starting grid.

Arrows, whose boss Tom Walkinshaw is in talks with three potential investors, did not take part in opening practice at Magny-Cours, did one installation lap on Saturday and then one flying lap with Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Enrique Bernoldi in qualifying.

The observer for the sport’s governing body, FIA, launched an investigation after both drivers missed out and as a result Arrows’ actions at Hockenheim on Saturday will come under close scrutiny.

Should a similar incident occur in Germany, the team could find themselves subject of a report by race director Charlie Whiting to the race stewards referring to article 151c of the International Sporting Code, which covers actions prejudicial to the spirit of competition.

The punishment for breaking the regulation is wide-ranging and includes a fine or race ban right up to expulsion from the World Championship itself.

Arrows’ failure to qualify raised suspicion because Frentzen and Bernoldi were within the 107% cut-off limit after the first two sectors, but then both produced dramatically slower times in the final sector.

Frentzen was also reported to have changed into casual clothes before the end of the session.

Walkinshaw said afterwards: ‘‘Unfortunately we were unable to qualify either car.

‘‘Our priority has to be to get this team back on its feet and in a position where we can build a positive future.’’

The future of the Leafield-based team has been hanging in the balance since Morgan Grenfell bank, which owns 70%, blocked a High Court attempt by Walkinshaw to sell its assets to soft drinks giants Red Bull.

Walkinshaw has been in discussions with several investors and claimed in France he had been advised not to take part in practice while those talks continued.

The Scotsman had to pay £3.2million of his own money to engine suppliers Cosworth before the British Grand Prix earlier this month to ensure they competed at Silverstone.