Arrows A1

The Arrows A1 was the car with which Arrows Grand Prix International raced in the 1978 and 1979 Formula One seasons. It replaced the FA1, which the London High Court banned on 31 July 1978 after Shadow protested that it copied the Shadow DN9. Arrows expected to lose the case and built the A1 in under 60 days while it was being heard, so it was shown to the press three days after the verdict and the team missed no races. It was one of the first ground effects cars and proved competitive despite having no testing, with Riccardo Patrese fourth in the 1978 Canadian Grand Prix and Jochen Mass running third at Monaco in 1979 before brake trouble. Six chassis were built, updated to A1-B and A1-C specification in 1979.