The team expanded into Formula 5000 in 1969, constructing its own cars for the first time. Surtees Racing Organisation was successful in this series, winning five consecutive races at Mondello Park, Koksijde, Zandvoort, Snetterton and Hockenheim during the twelve-race season. This success inspired Surtees to enter Formula One, and in 1970, the team ran the full season, though Surtees initially drove an old McLaren while awaiting completion of his own car. The new BP-sponsored car earned its first points in the Canadian Grand Prix that year.
In 1971, Surtees added a second full-time car for Rolf Stommelen, and a third car was entered in several races. Drivers Surtees, Stommelen, and Mike Hailwood each earned three points for the team. Surtees retired from full-time competition after the 1971 season, and the team fielded Hailwood, Tim Schenken, and Andrea de Adamich as full-time drivers in 1972. Hailwood secured the team’s first podium finish, finishing second in the Italian Grand Prix, and Surtees finished fifth in the Constructors' Championship.
The 1973 season saw Carlos Pace join the team alongside Hailwood, but it was a less successful year, with only a third place for Pace in Austria and a fourth in Germany. Hailwood departed for McLaren after the year, being replaced by Jochen Mass in 1974. That year was difficult for Surtees, as Pace left mid-season and replacement Derek Bell struggled to qualify. The season was marked by tragedy with Helmut Koinigg’s fatal crash at the 1974 United States Grand Prix.
Financial difficulties plagued the team in 1975, and they entered only a single car for John Watson, missing three of the final four races. 1976 brought a controversial sponsorship deal with Durex condoms and the arrival of Alan Jones, who finished fifth in Belgium and at Brands Hatch, and fourth in Japan. A second car was entered for Brett Lunger, and Henri Pescarolo raced a customer car later in the season, resulting in a tenth-place finish in the Constructors' Championship.
Jones moved to Shadow for 1977, and Vittorio Brambilla drove for Surtees, achieving three points finishes. Despite these results, financial troubles continued, and in 1978, Rupert Keegan joined Brambilla, but results remained poor. Unable to secure sufficient funding, the team left Formula One after the 1978 season, despite having a car built for 1979. The car briefly raced in the British Aurora championship before the Surtees Racing Organisation was closed.
The TS5 model, used from 1969-1970, was runner up in the 1969 Guards F5000 championship and won Le Circuit Continental at Circuit Mont-Tremblant with David Hobbs. The TS10, powered by a Cosworth BDA engine, helped Mike Hailwood win the 1972 European F2 Championship. The TS11, based on the TS9 with a Chevrolet engine, saw Gijs van Lennep win the 1972 Rothmans European Formula 5000 Championship. The TS14, the first Formula One car to fully comply with crumple-zone legislation, was a quick car but suffered from tire wear and a lack of development support. The TS19, designed by Surtees and Ken Sears, scored points in 1976 and 1977, and competed in the opening races of 1978.
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