Salo To Bar For Engine Money?

Mika Salo's name has been mentioned once again in connection with the second seat at British American Racing, as his Arrows boss Tom Walkinshaw seeks funds for a better engine.


Walkinshaw has apparently offered Salo to BAR, but at a price which would enable the canny Scot to buy a replacement for Arrows' current eponymous powerplant. The team's second driver, Pedro Diniz, is growing increasingly unhappy with the engine's lack of performance, and is hinting that he may leave at the end of the year. With much of Arrows' budget likely to leave with the Brazilian, team boss Walkinshaw is understandably keen to find a more powerful unit in order to retain Diniz's services.


Salo thus finds himself at the centre of some increasingly complex negotiations, as Walkinshaw tries to negotiate a supply of Mecachrome engines for 1999. The Finn has also been mentioned in connection with a Williams seat for the same reasons, but is thought unlikely to figure in the Grove team's plans for next season.