Senna

Senna | Toleman

TG183B-05

Ayrton Senna

A rising star, it was the ‘84 season when the young driver, Ayrton Senna, began to build his enviable reputation as arguably, the greatest Formula 1 driver, ever. Having tested for Brabham, McLaren and Williams, it was Toleman who introduced Senna to his first F1 Championship. This was the pivotable moment in his career, where he left behind the world of Formula 3 and began to break through the ranks of the elite racing world, ranks in which Senna would furiously climb over the following decade. After testing with Toleman in late 1983, the Toleman designer Rory Byrne simply said “This is the guy … We’ve just got to have him.”

Toleman TG183B-05 is one of the most significant pieces of motorsport history, why so? It’s the very car that launched Ayrton Senna's F1 career in the 1984 FIA World Championship and in which he collected his first World Championship points.

In this car, Senna competed in the ‘84 season opener, his home Grand Prix at the Autodromo Internacional do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In chassis 05 he then went on to win his first Championship point in only his second F1 race, Kyalami, South Africa on the 7th April 1984, finishing a very credible sixth. Finishing an impressive ninth overall in the 1984 season with Toleman.

Racing this car in the Championship was the start of Senna’s astonishing career. Famously recognised for his finely tuned driving skills, qualifying speed over one lap, and holding the record for most pole positions (1989 – 2006), it is unsurprising that he is widely acknowledged today as the greatest driver, of all time. Competing in a total of 161 Grands Prix, he achieved 65 pole positions, 80 podiums and an astounding 41 wins, resulting in three World Championship titles. Senna remains the record holder for six victories at the Monaco Grand Prix and is the fifth-most successful driver of all time in terms of race wins.

"This is the guy...
We've just got to have him."

Rory Byrne, Toleman Designer, 1983

The Start

The Start of Senna's F1 Career

Senna and Toleman could be considered a dark horse pairing in the 1984 Championship. Senna, making his debut into Formula 1 and Toleman only having entered their first Formula 1 season in 1981. In their formative F1 seasons, Toleman had been struggling for results against the manufacture led teams, until the recruitment of Senna. The manufacturer didn’t have the same credentials or reputation as teams such as Lauder and McLaren-Tag. Toleman Motorsport Managing Director, Alex Hawkridge, in 1990 reflected: “We couldn't hire a superstar [too expensive] or even a current experienced driver on a minimum retainer – our cars wouldn't get a fair showing in the hands of an average Formula 1 driver. We had to go for young talent. We had to have someone good enough to progress the car, and we knew that Ayrton was capable of doing that.” It was the 1984 Championship which launched both Senna himself and the team into the spotlight and marking the start of his F1 career and an icon.

Today, it seems unimaginable to think of anyone let alone a race car engineer, to not know of the racing royalty that is Ayrton Senna. In 1984, however, Senna’s infancy in the realms of F1 is clear to see - with ‘Aryton’ spelled incorrectly, scrawled onto the footrest of TG183B-05 - a modest feature that can still be seen on the car today.

Toleman Motorsport - Formula One

For Toleman’s F1 debut in 1981, discussions were held with Lancia to supply a turbocharged engine, but the team opted for a turbocharged version of the Hart F2 engine. The Rory Byrne designed Toleman TG181 was overweight and underpowered. In 1982, the team created the TG181C which was used by Dereck Warwick and newcomer Teo Fabi, until it was replaced by the carbon-composite Toleman TG183 in late August of the same year. This car was only raced in two Grands Prix, Italy and Las Vegas, it then underwent significant development and the TG183B was born in 1983. Toleman could afford this major development in technology as their title sponsor, Candy, were joined by brands such as Magirus and BP, which significantly increased their budget. It was this year that Toleman’s first Championship points were scored, placing them ninth overall in the Constructor Standings for that year.

In 1984, the Toleman driver team was completely replaced. Warwick’s successful performance in the year prior was rewarded by Renault with the offer of a contract. It was at this point the young British Formula 3 Champion, Senna, joined the Toleman team for his first F1 season.

TG183B-05 made its debut at the F1 season opener, The Grande Premio do Brazil in Rio De Janeiro. The Senna – Toleman duo then went on to compete in TG183B-05 at the first four races of the season. It was in the second race of this season on the South African Kyalami track, where Senna achieved his first ever Championship point. The car’s penultimate race was at Zolder, Belgium, where he finished sixth and scored his second Championship point. Senna’s final race in TG183B-05 was at the San Marino GP Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. A significant race in Senna’s career history, being the only F1 event he failed to qualify. After which, the car was retired, and his season continued in the newly launched TG184.

Toleman Motorsport

Retirement TG183B-05

In 1984, after four Grands Prix with Senna at the wheel, TG183B-05 was retired and was replaced by TG184. It was kept by Toleman for a number of years before being sold to an American owner. Maintaining its totally original condition, it was then sold to a private UK buyer. It remains accompanied by its original Hart Turbo engine.

Evolution of Toleman

Where did Toleman go? Well, it didn’t go anywhere. Toleman never stopped racing. In fact, the company continued to race after its apparent disappearance in 1985, having participated in 70 Grand Prix, re-emerging after the off-season in 1986 as Benetton Formula. The team operated as Benetton until 2002 when they were bought by Renault. Racing under Renault until 2010, they then reincarnated to Lotus until 2015, before returning to Renault until 2020. Today, they race under the (seemly) newly established Alpine, in reality, a team with a long, triumphant F1 history.

1986 - 2002

2002 - 2010

2010 - 2015

2015-2020

2020 - 2024

Martin Brundle tested the car in 2022 at Brands Hatch for Sky Sports F1 and it features in their incredible ‘Toleman Story’ documentary. Brundle certainly was no stranger to Senna. As young drivers, they competed fiercely against each other, most notably in the ‘Senna vs. Brundle’ title fight in the 1983 British Formula 3 Championship, where Brundle suffered a dramatic defeat. Senna was followed by the Brit into the 1984 F1 season where he also made his F1 debut in Brazil, racing with Tyrrell-Ford.

The car is now owned by a private British car enthusiast, who is excited to have this piece of motorsport history, a car of such significance, nearly 40 years since its debut, in immaculate preserved condition.

Senna 30-Year Legacy Celebration

TG183B-05 was invited to the 2024 Silverstone Festival as part of the largest-ever gathering of Ayrton Senna's cars. It proved to be a powerful and emotional display, celebrating his legacy on the 30th anniversary of his passing.

"Ayrton lived in the UK at the beginning of his career, so there are so many memories here at Silverstone. It’s very special that so many people can see all these beautiful machines. Huge congratulations to all those who’ve made this wonderful tribute happen – I know it would have made Ayrton so proud."

Bruno and Lalalli Senna

Images taken by Jakob Ebrey