The Toleman company was established in 1926 by Edward Toleman to deliver Ford cars from the Ford factory to dealers across the country. Edward’s son, Albert, took over in the 1950s, and Albert’s sons, Ted and Bob, succeeded him in 1966. The Toleman brothers recruited Alex Hawkridge to expand their transportation business into Europe and to sponsor competitors. The Toleman family were also involved in motorsport; Albert Toleman won club-level rally championships, and Ted Toleman competed in Formula Two, the Dakar Rally, and the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans. Bob Toleman died in a racing accident in 1976.
Hawkridge encouraged the company to expand into auto racing by sponsoring competitors, beginning with Rad Dougall in the 1976 British Formula Ford Championship. Despite Dougall breaking his legs on the day funding was agreed, Toleman continued to sponsor him in 1977, where he won the Formula Ford 2000 title. Impressed with the results, Ted Toleman decided to start his own Formula Two team.
From 1978 to 1980, Toleman competed in the European Formula Two Championship. To prepare for the higher level of competition, the team hired designer Rory Byrne, with the intention of eventually building their own cars. In 1978, Toleman ran a customer March-BMW, with Rad Dougall achieving a podium finish. Byrne criticised March for prioritising their works team, concluding that “it’s no use having a customer car, you’re always one step behind.” In 1979, the team fielded a second car for Brian Henton, alongside a customer Ralt-Hart. Henton finished 2nd in the championship, losing the title by two points after being disqualified from the Mediterranean Grand Prix. In 1980, Derek Warwick joined the team, bringing BP sponsorship. Byrne unveiled the team’s first chassis, the Toleman TG280, which exploited a loophole to continue running a ground effect car. Switching to Pirelli tyres, Toleman-Hart dominated the season, with Henton and Warwick finishing 1-2 in the championship, skipping the final race due to their large lead. Toleman cars won six of the twelve races that season.
Toleman also produced the TA860 car for Formula Atlantic and Formula Pacific racing. Two chassis were built, one going to Carl Haas in America in June 1981, and the other to Australian driver Peter Williamson in September 1981. Williamson raced the car in Australian Formula 1 (Pacific), using a Toyota engine. The chassis was crashed during practice for the 1984 Australian Grand Prix, prompting Williamson’s retirement.
Toleman entered Formula One for the 1981 season, motivated by a short window of opportunity created by the FISA–FOCA war. The team recruited Pat Symonds and sourced Hart turbocharger engines. The team innovated by commissioning the first fibre-optic engine management system.
The early years in Formula One were difficult, with the team’s cars mocked as “The Pig” and “The Belgrano.” In 1981, the Toleman TG181 qualified for only two races. Derek Warwick remarked that the car was “impossible to drive.” In 1982, Teo Fabi replaced Brian Henton, but the team still struggled with engine reliability, finishing only two races. The carbon-composite Toleman TG183 was introduced late in the season.
With sponsor Candy threatening to pull funding for 1983, the team employed a strategy at the British Grand Prix where Derek Warwick started on a half-tank of petrol, gaining a speed advantage before running out of fuel. The team falsely claimed a mechanical failure to the press, securing continued sponsorship.
In 1983, the TG183B showed improved form, with Derek Warwick scoring the team’s first points with a fourth-place finish at the Dutch Grand Prix. Toleman finished 9th in the Constructors' Championship with ten points.
1984 saw the arrival of Ayrton Senna, who quickly developed a rapport with Rory Byrne. Senna tested for Toleman and immediately impressed. Senna was paired with Johnny Cecotto, but Cecotto broke both legs during practice for the British Grand Prix, and Stefan Johansson eventually replaced him. The team started the year using 1983 cars, but Senna scored his first F1 point at Kyalami. The team switched to Michelin tyres after Senna induced them to break their Pirelli contract. Senna achieved a second-place finish at the rain-soaked Monaco Grand Prix. Senna also secured a podium at the Portuguese Grand Prix. Toleman finished 7th in the Constructors' Championship, scoring 16 points.
In 1985, the team nearly collapsed after Michelin withdrew from F1, leaving them without a tyre supplier. Benetton bought the team mid-season, acquiring a Pirelli supply from the defunct Spirit team, and kept the Toleman name until the end of the year. Teo Fabi and Piercarlo Ghinzani were the drivers, but the team scored no points. Fabi achieved a pole position at the German Grand Prix.
Following the sale to Benetton, Rory Byrne and Pat Symonds remained with the organisation, which would later win championships with Benetton and Ferrari. Ted Toleman left England in 1993, while Alex Hawkridge later chaired a racing simulator company.
The source for this article is a Wikipedia article on Toleman Motorsport. Information on the team's history, personnel, and performance is derived from this source. Primary archival research, autobiographies, period programmes, and specialist publications were not consulted.