The early 1990s was an exciting time in Formula 1.
With those expensive and overly complicated turbocharged motors of the 1980s replaced by naturally aspirated 3.5-litre engines, the top tier of international motorsport was once again a semi-affordable arena for privateer teams to play in.
One of these teams was Arrows – a UK-based outfit that had been lining up on the grid since 1977. In 1990, Japanese businessman Wataru Ohashi, who was the then president of Footwork Express, a prosperous Japanese logistics company, invested heavily in the team and by 1991 the outfit was renamed Footwork.
This extra financial backing helped Footwork seal an engine deal with motorsport gurus Porsche – a marque that had helped McLaren win no less than three Formula 1 constructors championships on the trot (1984-1986). Things were looking rosy.