Arrows No-Show 'Huge Complication' for Takeover Deal

The failure of Arrows Grand Prix to attend the Hungarian Grand Prix has caused serious complications to a potential takeover, according to bidder Craig Pollock.

And the former British American Racing team principal, who currently manages Jacques Villeneuve, suggested in the Hungaroring paddock on Friday that a deal must be done before the next race to assure their survival.

"Not being in the paddock is a huge complication because you are in breach of your agreements with all the other teams," Pollock said. "Something has to be sorted (before Spa).

"If you are buying anything within this paddock you want to have the absolute agreement of the sport and key people in the sport know that we have a team that is entering the Championship in the next year.

"In theory, you can have two races where you do not participate and you pay the promoter a fine, but I don't think it would be a very clever thing to do because I think you would lose the support of the paddock."

Pollock, backed by investment from a "non-Canadian, North American company", said he is one of three parties who have put deals on the table in an effort to secure the assets of the team.

But he believes the changes of securing a deal are reducing every time a race goes by, and added: "I think it has to be done pretty fast because the team is not in the paddock and not being in the paddock is a huge complication.

"I would like to think we are ahead but you can never know. At one stage I said I was 80 percent confident, but today it is very difficult to say because this complicates the situation tremendously.

"But on the other hand, I think it is extremely important for the sport that you don't go down to ten teams. Down to ten teams is bad because if another team goes down you are down to nine teams, eighteen cars, and you are losing a lot of the show. Also you are losing potential investors coming into the sport."

Pollock refused to comment on whether Arrows are insolvent, which would see them lose all rights they currently have from the Concorde Agreement, including the right to race.