The Arrows A2 debuted at the 1979 French GP. The basic concept, conceived by Tony Southgate, was to make the most of the ground effect, with a car that was practically an entire off-wing. Powered by the Ford Cosworth V8, the A2 showed very little competitiveness, despite the theoretical validity of the underlying concept. Over the course of the season the team had to brush up on the old A1. Arrows pilots of 1979 were Riccardo Patrese and Jochen Mass.