From Arrows to Benetton

Belgian Thierry Boutsen and Austrian Gerhard Berger were team mates at the Barclay Arrows BMW team in 1985. At this early stage of their careers, these two promising drivers had yet to win a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The Arrows A8, entered by Jackie Oliver’s team during the 1985 season, was designed by Dave Wass, and was powered by the BMW M12 turbocharged engine, also used by the team the previous season. The engines were maintained by Swiss engine guru Heini Mader. Its best finish was when Thierry Boutsen drove it to second place at the 1985 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.

Reliability issues and (excessive) fuel consumption were the main concerns all through the season. Boutsen finished four times in the points (one podium), while Berger could only manage two points finishes, and moved to Benetton for 1986. The Belgian remained, had two more difficult years with the team, until he too, had the chance to move to Benetton in 1987 and really prove his worth.

Picture below: Thierry Boutsen (foreground) and Gerhard Berger in their Arrows A8-BMW. The team scored 14 points in 1985 and finished eighth in the Constructors’ championship.