Toleman
Toleman Motorsport, a British motor racing team, which was mainly engaged in Formula 2 and Formula 1. Toleman won with a self-constructed vehicle 1980 Formula 2 Championship. The following year, the team debuted with British engine manufacturer Hart in Formula 1 until 1985 Toleman participated in 70 Grands Prix and reached there 26 championship points, three podiums and one pole position. 1984 debuted the later three -time world champion Ayrton Senna with Toleman in Formula 1 From 1986, joined the team several times the owner and name. It is a precursor of the teams Benetton and Renault; since 2010, it is committed under the name Lotus F1 Team in Formula 1.
Founding and early years
Toleman Motorsport was founded by Ted and Robert Toleman. The Toleman brothers were heirs to a 1926 established transport company, which carried on behalf of Ford UK newly manufactured passenger cars from the plants to the dealers. Since the 1970s, Ted and Robert Toleman dedicated as a driver in car racing; in the British Formula Ford 2000, both competed against each other. Robert Toleman died in 1976 after a racing accident at the Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit, two years later, Ted Toleman crashed during practice for the 24 - hour race at Le Mans, where he began a private Osella, heavy. After the accident, Ted Toleman ended his racing career.
Toleman in Formula 2
In 1978, Toleman Motorsport Ralt of vehicles for the first time with customers in the Formula 2 European Championship. The team use one designed by Brian Hart 2.0-liter four -cylinder engine of the type Hart 420, which was based in its fundamentals on the Cosworth BDA engine. In the Formula 2 season 1977 cars with hard won engines two races, in 1978 there were four victories. 1979 missed Brian Henton in Tolemans Ralt by one point to win the Formula 2 Championship. The following year, Toleman took the change from customer's team to the manufacturer: Rory Byrne and John Gentry constructed the cut to the hard - Toleman TG280 engine, dominated the Formula 2 season 1980. The Tolemanfahrer Henton and Derek Warwick this year were well ahead of the competition champion or runner-up. In 1981, the team Docking Spitzley continued use of cars in the Formula 2 and received this factory support. More Toleman customers were Plygrange Racing and the Austrian Jo Gartner, who ran a private team this year.
Toleman in Formula 1
Preparations
1981 Toleman Motorsport entered the first time in Formula 1. Ted Toleman had recognized in 1980 that the naturally aspirated so far mainly used in Formula 1 were inferior to the younger turbo engines. For the Formula 1 entry Toleman therefore sought unlike other small teams like Osella, RAM, or Theodore consistently a turbo engine. Initially, the team had tried a turbo engine from Lancia; these attempts failed, however early. Instead, Ted Toleman and his team manager Alex Hawkridge chosen to continue the alliance with Brian Hart, who in 1979 made the first development work for a turbo engine. Toleman financed from the autumn of 1980, the development of the designated as hard 415T engine, the prototype of which was subjected to a first test in a modified Toleman chassis on 9 December 1980.
1981: Only two qualifications
Tolemans first year in Formula 1 was a series of failures. The team debuted with Derek Warwick and Brian Henton at the fourth race of the season, the Grand Prix Grand Prix of San Marino, who was also the first European race of the year. At twelve world championship races in which Toleman took part in this year, the driver failed eleven times each in the qualification. Henton could only qualify for the Grand Prix of Italy, which he finished as 10th; Warwick was only the Grand Prix of Las Vegas in October 1981 into the race, but dropped out before the race ended. The lack of success of the team are in the literature mostly attributed to the fact that Toleman was a completely new turbo engine and the Pirelli tires, their use was also an innovation overwhelmed.
1982: Non qualifications and failures
In the second year of the team showed up mid-season towards improving competitiveness; the reliability of the Toleman - Hart, however, was still a weak point of the package.
Among the known from the previous year technical problems were financial difficulties. After both drivers had missed qualifying for the second race of the season, the former principal sponsor Candy withdrew. Toleman was from the two North American races in the spring of 1982; as a reason for this transport problems were indicated. The team used the time to revise the emergency vehicle fundamentally. The now TG181C said vehicle was " much more competitive " and allowed the drivers from the summer of 1982 almost regularly the race participation, pointing beyond to the potential for excellence. At the Grand Prix of Great Britain Warwick was a few laps in second position before a valve damage forced them to task. In Zandvoort Warwick took the TG181C the fastest lap of the race. Countable results could not be derived from it, however, because the cars were very unreliable as before. Throughout the season, there were only three target arrivals.
1983: First World Cup points
Only in the second half of the Formula 1 season 1983 that the Toleman team to position its drivers in the points. Warwick came in the last four races of the year twice in fourth place, and once each in fifth and sixth place, his team mate Bruno Giacomelli was once sixth.
1984: Ayrton Senna
Tolemans 1984 was the best year. The team achieved 16 world championship points and finished second in the final classification number 7 in the constructors' championship. This year, Ayrton Senna celebrated his Formula 1 debut with Toleman. An outstanding race was the rainy Monaco Grand Prix, in which Senna gave a duel with Stefan Bellof and attempts undertook to overtake the leader Alain Prost. Before it came to a duel with Prost, Jackie Ickx race director broke the race for bad weather conditions prematurely. Senna finished second behind Prost. Most observers assumed that Senna had a few laps later, taking the lead from Prost.
Although Senna had a valid until 1986 contract with Toleman he received after this race, an offer from Lotus team principal Peter Warr for the 1985 season. Senna's father bought him a few months later released from the Toleman contract to a move to the former Top team allow. Senna Toleman was then the Grand Prix of Italy will not start. In his place, drove Stefan Johansson, who took over the car of the previously crashed Johnny Cecotto from the next race.
1985: Tire Problems and Selling
In 1985, the team got big problems to find a tire supplier and could only compete, as the Spirit Team ( Grand Prix of San Marino) got out of the Formula 1 after the third race of the season. Toleman took over the Pirelli tires and was able to drive to the end of the season. End of the year, the team was taken over by the main sponsor Benetton, which then has its own team founded: Benetton Formula. 2002 this team was in turn bought by Renault and Renault F1 called.