Footwork FA17 Full-Scale Model

The Alan Jenkins–designed Footwork FA17 was a logical evolution of the previous season’s FA16, retaining the neatly packaged Hart Type 830 V-8 engine which had powered Gianni Morbidelli to a valiant 3rd place in the final round of the 1995 championship in Australia. For 1996, incumbent Arrows boss Jackie Oliver recruited former Benetton and Simtek F1 driver Jos Verstappen and 1995 International Formula 3000 series runner-up Ricardo Rosset in the hope that both could capitalise on the car’s strong—if broadly conventional—technical credentials. Despite the entirely new driver lineup, the 1996 season proved difficult, with the team placing 9th in the Constructors’ Championship at the end of the season.