Pollock Not Involved in Arrows Purchase (Updated)

Former British American Racing boss Craig Pollock is not involved in the Arrows purchase, the Scot said today in the paddock in Belgium.

The debt-ridden Arrows team announced yesterday a successful agreement with an American buyer that will guarantee their survival, but the team did not name the investor and said they hoped for the deal to be completed by Friday in order to take part at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.

Pollock, who left the helm of the BAR team at the end of last year, revealed earlier this month that, with the backing of American investors, he had tabled an offer to Arrows boss Tom Walkinshaw in order to buy the Leafield-based squad.

But in Belgium Pollock said that he was not involved in the purchase of the team as his offer had not been enough for Arrows.

"It's not me," Pollock said in Belgium, when asked if he is the buyer Arrows noted in their statement. "It's not me and it's not my investors. Obviously, our offer was not good enough, so I am out of the picture."

Pollock also said he does not know the identity of the American investor who will buy the team.

A team source also denied that Dieter Mateschitz, owner of the Red Bull sports drink brand who has been looking to set up a Team Red Bull USA, was involved. Pollock said he had been close to agreeing a deal, but "obviously not close enough...I'd say just at the very last minute somebody else came in."

Arrows turned up at a Grand Prix for the first time since the German round at Hockenheim last month, a team bus occupying the space reserved for their hospitality in the Spa paddock on Thursday. Brazilian driver Enrique Bernoldi was also present on Thursday without any action on the track and said he still did not know who his teammate would be for the weekend.

Arrows, who did not go to the last Hungarian Grand Prix, released German Heinz-Harald Frentzen last month and have not yet named a replacement. International Automobile Federation sources said the deadline for teams to nominate their drivers had passed but race stewards could still allow a late entry at their discretion.

Spaniard Fernando Alonso, the current Renault test driver who has a full drive with the French team next season, was one of those named in paddock speculation as a possible stand-in. Arrows also had to pay their engine suppliers Cosworth by a Wednesday deadline but sources at the Ford-owned company saw no problems to prevent the team from racing.