Onyx Grand Prix began life as Onyx Race Engineering in late 1978 as a partnership between Mike Earle and Greg Field. Earle had extensive experience in open-wheel racing, running the successful Church Farm Racing team in F3, F2 and Formula 5000, as well as previously working with Field and driver David Purley in the LEC racing team. The venture initially focused on Formula 2, running semi-works Marches for drivers such as Johnny Cecotto and Riccardo Paletti in the early 1980s.
The team’s first attempt to enter Formula One occurred in 1982 with a private March for Emilio de Villota, though he failed to qualify for any of the five rounds entered. Plans to debut a proprietary chassis in 1983 were halted following the death of Riccardo Paletti at the 1982 Canadian Grand Prix. Following this period, Field briefly left the team, selling his shares to Jo Chamberlain. Onyx subsequently took over the works March Formula 2 and later Formula 3000 operations, culminating in Stefano Modena winning the 1987 Formula 3000 championship. This success prompted Earle to pursue a full-scale Formula One entry for the 1989 season.
The team’s first Formula One car, the Onyx ORE-1, was designed by Alan Jenkins, who had previously worked for McLaren, and he was commissioned to design the team's first Formula One car. The ORE-1 featured a Ford V8 engine and Goodyear tyres. The car was noted for its tidy design, though its early development was hampered by a total lack of testing; the first chassis were completed only on the morning of their launch for the 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix.
By 1990, the team’s technical standards declined. The ORE-1B was a minor update of the original chassis.
Onyx employed a mix of veteran and rookie drivers during its brief tenure. Stefan Johansson provided the team’s most significant results, including its sole podium. Bertrand Gachot, a rookie whose connections brought in the Moneytron sponsorship, was sacked late in 1989 for voicing his displeasure at the team's lack of testing and an apparent lack of faith in his driving. He was replaced by JJ Lehto.
In 1990, the driver lineup became entangled in team politics. Gregor Foitek was hired for the second seat, largely due to his father, Karl Foitek, purchasing a 25% stake in the team. Johansson was retained for the first two rounds of 1990 before being replaced by Foitek; Johansson subsequently sued the team for breach of contract. The relationship with the Foitek family ended abruptly when Karl Foitek withdrew his funding and barred his son from driving, citing concerns that the cars were mechanically dangerous.
The 1989 season represented the team's peak. After struggling with pre-qualifying in the early rounds, Johansson secured a fifth-place finish at the French Grand Prix. The definitive highlight occurred at the Portuguese Grand Prix, where Johansson finished third. The team ended 1989 in 10th place in the Constructors' Championship with six points.
The team’s fortunes declined in late 1989 as owner Jean-Pierre Van Rossem lost interest. Van Rossem was banned from the paddock by Bernie Ecclestone after making controversial comments to the press. Ownership passed to a consortium led by Peter Monteverdi. The team was relocated to Switzerland and rebranded as Monteverdi Onyx Formula One. However, the lack of development and the departure of key staff, including founder Mike Earle, led to a sharp decline in performance. The team failed to qualify for several races in 1990 and ultimately ceased operations after the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Following the dissolution of the original Formula One team, Mike Earle eventually reformed the Onyx name in 2014. The revived entity initially planned to enter the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) with a Ford Fiesta, but the project was cancelled due to a lack of manufacturer support. The team later built a Ford Focus ST for the 2015 TCR International Series, but the car proved uncompetitive. The assets of this venture were sold to the FRD racing team in 2016.
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