Arrows A2 “Invisible Wing” at ring werk, photographed by MPW57, licensed under CC BY 3.0 / GFDL. ( Credit links at the end of the content)
We know the 1970s were chaotic. Some ideas were banned before they even reached the race, while others made it to the track but never worked as intended. One of those was the Arrows A2 “Invisible Wing.”
So in 1979, F1 was still in the middle of a quiet revolution; ground effect aerodynamics had just begun reshaping the sport, and teams were experimenting with ideas that often looked like aircraft engineering than racing car design.
ARROWS A2 Invisible Wing
Among the most extreme of these experiment was the Arrows A2; a car designed with a radical philosophy, remove the wings entirely and let the entire body become a single, massive aerodynamic device.
It was called the ‘Invisible Wing’ concept; and for a brief moment, it looked like the future.
The Idea Behind the “Invisible Wing”
It was designed by Tony Southgate and Dave Wass; with one main goal in mind… eliminate traditional front and rear wing and generate all downforce from the underside of the car.
Instead of rel ying on exposed aero elements, they attempted to create a sealed underbody venturi system that would suck the car toward the track surface.
So the theory was simple but ambitious!
If the floor could generate enough low pressure; then wings would become unnecessary, reducing drag and increasing straight-line speed.
To make this work, the car’s entire architecture had to be rethought!
The engine and gearbox were mounted at a slight angle, around four degrees; allowing engineers to carve out a full width underfloor tunnel. So this was an unusual and complex layout for the time, but it was essential for the concept to fuction, and the bodywork itself was shaped to act like a continous aerodynamic surface. Instead of adding downforce externally, the entire car was intended to behave like a single, hidden wing.
Early Promise and Wind Tunnel Success
On paper; it looked like a breakthrough.
Wind tunnel testing reportedly showed dramatic results, with downforce levels estimated at three to four times higher than previous Arrows designs.
For a small team; this was a huge leap forward, the idea of gaining that much aerodynamic grip without adding large wings was incredibly attractive, especially in an era where drag reduction was becoming just as important as raw downforce.
So what worked in controlled testing didn’t end as expected on track, and that gap between theory and reality would come to define the A2’s entire story.
The Problems Begin on Track
Once the A2 hit the circuit; its weaknesses became immediately clear.
The most dramatic issue was a violent aero instability commonly known as porpoising.
As the car accelerated and the underfloor sealed itself against the track; downforce would increase rapidly, pushing the car downward… but as the ride height changed, the airflow would suddenly stall, causing the downforce to collapse.
The result was a repeated bouncing motion, as if the car was behing physically slammed up and down at high speed!
Drivers such as Riccardo Patrese and Jochen Mass described the car as unpredictable and unsettling; especially in fast corners where confidence is essential.
The grip would appear and disappear depending on subtle changes in ride weight; making the car feel alive in a way that wasn’t controllable.
If you want to learn more stories like this, you can read about the “Teapot” of the Ligier F1 Team or the story of the March 751 “skirting boards.” You can also find more in our tech category. Some of these ideas failed outright, some were banned before they could truly race, and others managed only a brief appearance before disappearing from Formula 1 entirely.
Engineering Side Effects and Balance Issues
The Arrows A2’s radical layout created additional problems beyond aerodynamics.
So by tilting the engine and redesigning the drivetrain layout; engineers unintentionally raised the car’s center of gravity.
In F1; even small changes in weight distribution can have a major impact on handling, and in this case, the effect was significant.
To cope with the massive loads generated by ground effect; the chassis also required reinforcement.
This added weight, which reduced agility and made the car slower in directional changes, so what was supposed to be a lightweight aero solution gradually became heavier and more physically demanding to drive.
Antoher major issue was the shifting center of pressure; because the car’s downforce depended heavily on ride height, the point at which aero grip acted on the chassis constantly changed.
At one moment, it felt stable, and seconds later, there was no balance at all.
For drivers, this created a constant sense of uncertainty.
F1 1979: Arrows F1 Team Race Performance and Results
In 1979 season when the season started, its performance was inconsistent, and it quickly became clear that development wasn’t keeping pace with its rivals.
Mass managed to secure two six-place finishes, one in German GP and another in Netherlands, which accunted for the car’s only points.
Meanwhile, the other driver, Riccardo Patrese, struggled more severly, with a best finish of ninth place.
At times; Patrese even reverted the older Arrows A1, a clear indication that the A2 was not delivering the expected step forward.
By the end of the season, the project was quietly abandoned.
Why the A2 Was Not Banned
Despite its reputation for being extreme and difficult to handle; the Arrows A2 was never banned by the FIA.
Its failure wasn’t regulatory, but purely technical.
The car was abandoned because it didn’t work reliably in real racing condition and was too unpredictable to develop further within the team’s resources.
However, confusion around its story has persisted over time. Part of this comes from Arrows’ earlier legal issues with the FA1, which was ruled a copy of another chassis and forced out of competition. Another source of confusion is the Brabham BT46B “fan car,” which was withdrawn after a single race due to rival protests over its design, even though it was never officially banned, but if we talk about Arrows A2, it still stands today as one of F1’s most ambitious aero experiment.
Featured Image Credits: Arrows A2 “Invisible Wing” at ring werk, photographed by MPW57, licensed under CC BY 3.0 / GFDL via Wikimedia Commons
Other Stories on CarsRave:
- Read More: Road-Legal F1 Cars: 5 Mind-Blowing Machines With F1 DNA
- Read More: F1 Aerodynamics Explained: A Journey from the 1950s to Today
