Image credit: Matthias v.d. Elbe, own work, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. (credit links at the end of the content)
We continue our journey of uncovering forgotten F1 teams from the past. Over the last few days, we have worked every day to bring you these stories, although researching and verifying the information takes considerable time. Our next story is about the fascinating rise and fall of the Onyx F1 Team.
F1 has always attracted ambitious newcomers hoping to challenge the established giants, while only a handful managed to build lasting legacies, many disappeared almost as quickly as they arrived.
Despite competing only two years in F1, in 1989 and 1990, Onyx left behind one of F1’s most remarkable underdog stories, from winning in the junior categories to standing on the F1 podium.
The Origins of Onyx F1 Team
The story began long before it entered F1, the company was founded in 1978 by Mike Earle and Greg Field under the name Onyx Race Engineering, focused on Formula 2, the British outfit quickly built a reputation for preparing competitive cars and developing young talents.
Throughout the 1980s, Onyx became one of the strongest independent teams outside F1, its greatest achievement came in 1987 when driver Stefano Modena won the International Formula 3000 championship.
It was that moment when the founders thought that it was the logical step to enter F1.
Entering Formula 1 in 1989
For the 1989 F1 season, Onyx officially became a F1 constructor, the team introduced the ORE-1, a chassis designed by respected engineer Alan Jenkins, who had previously worked with McLaren team.
Onyx used Ford Cosworth DFR V8 engine, while Goodyear supplied the tires. Although the equipment was far from factory-backed, it offered enough potential for a well-managed team to score respectable results, but the biggest obstacle, was funding, F1 required enormous financial resources, and Onyx found its answer in an unlikely source.
Onyx title sponsor
The financial support that helped Onyx make the step into F1 came through Belgian businessman Jean Pierre van Rossem, whose company Moneytron became the team’s principal sponsor.
The partnership gave Onyx a major boost, with the team’s distinctive blue Moneytron livery quickly becoming one of the most recognizable designs on the grid.
Over time, however, the sponsorship situation became increasingly complicated, creating uncertainty around the team’s long-term future, at the time, few could have predicted how closely the fortunes of Onyx would become connected to the stability of its financial backing.
A Dream Rookie Season
Despite entering F1 with modest expectation, Onyx surprised almost everyone during its debut season, experienced Swedish driver Stefan Johansson gradually unlocked the potential of the ORE-1, giving the team valuable finishes throughout the year.
The breakthrough came at the 1989 French GP, where Johansson finished fifth to score the team’s first F1 championship points.
Even more remarkable was what happened later that season, at the Portuguese GP, Johansson produced one of the greatest performances by a new F1 team during the era, he finished in third place behind Gerhard Berger and Alain Prost, securing the first and only podium in the history of the Onyx F1 Team.
By the end of 1989, Onyx had scored six championship points, an impressive return for an independent newcomer competing against teams like Ferrari, McLaren or Williams!
Trouble Begins Behind the Scenes
While the Onyx F1 Team appeared to be building momentum on track; the situation behind the scenes became increasingly challenging.
Internal disagreements and growing uncertainty surrounding the team’s financial backing made it difficult to maintain the progress achieved during its debut season.
Although the full story involved several business and sponsorship issues beyond the scope of this article; the result was clear, the team’s primary source of funding came to an end, and without financial resources needed to compete in F1, Onyx faced an uphill battle to keep its project alive.
Peter Monteverdi Takes Control
Early in 1990, van Rossem sold his shares to Swiss luxury car manufacturer and collector Peter Monteverdi.
At first, the takeover appeared to offer much-needed stability. Instead, it accelerated the team’s downfall. The relationship between Peter Monteverdi and the original management did not develop as expected. Reports suggest that team founder Mike Earle left the project, followed shortly by chief designer Alan Jenkins, whose departure deprived Onyx of much of the technical expertise that had been responsible for its earlier success.
The team was briefly entered under the name Monteverdi Onyx, but the change failed to solve its growing financial crisis.
Cost Cutting at Any Price
As money became increasingly scarce, the situation inside the team reportedly became alarming, according to reports, severe budget reductions affected the preparation of the cars, reports suggest that the former personnel later claimed that damaged suspension components were repaired rather than replaced.
Retirements became increasingly common, performance disappeared, and morale inside the team collapsed.
Related Contents: Before we continue with the story of the Onyx F1 Team, you can also explore our latest articles about other forgotten Formula 1 teams, including AGS and Leyton House. These teams were part of an era when several ambitious projects entered F1 but eventually disappeared from the grid.
Why the Onyx F1 Team Vanished
By the mid-1990 F1 season, the team could no longer continue operating due to financial problems, Monteverdi Onyx withdrew from F1 before the Hungarian GP.
In total, Onyx entered 25 races, scored six points and achieved one memorable podium finish. Its F1 adventure had lasted barely two seasons.
Was Onyx Sold or Did It Simply Disappear?
Unlike several F1 team that evolved into new constructors through ownership changes, Onyx didn’t survive as an active organization.
Although Peter Monteverdi purchased the company during its financial collapse, the acquisition didn’t preserve the F1 operation, the remaining assets were gradually liquidated as the team ceased competing.
The F1 entry itself disappeared completely, and no successor team inherited its place on the grid, what remained were the racing cars.
What Happened to the Onyx F1 Cars?
Rather than being sold immediately; the surviving Onyx chassis were transported to Switzerland and placed inside Peter Monteverdi’s private automobile museum, for nearly three decades, these F1 cars remained hidden from public views.
Only after Monteverdi’s collection began to be dispersed around 2019 did several cars reappear on the hsitoric racing market, today, a handful of surviving ORE chassis are owned by private collectors and occasionally appear at historic F1 demonstration and classic motorsport events.
Although the team itself disappeared forever; its cars continue to preserve the memory of one of F1’s shortest yet most memorable projects.
The Legacy of the Onyx F1 Team
The Onyx F1 team remains one of F1’s greatest ‘what if’ stories, in less than two years, the small British constructor experienced almost every emotion imaginable, success in junior racing, impressive F1 debut, a shock podium finish, internal conflict, and eventual collapse.
More than three decades later, Onyx is remembered not only for Stefan Johansson’s unforgettable podium at Estoril but also as a reminder that in F1, talent alone is rarely enough, without long-term financial stability and strong leadership, even the most promising teams can disappear almost overnight!
FEATURED IMAGE CREDITS: Matthias v.d. Elbe, own work, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
