In the final two races of the 1982 season, the Toleman Motorsport team debuted the new TG183 model in a provisional version, entrusted solely to Derek Warwick. His task was to shake down the car, which featured innovative solutions for the small British team. The TG183 was in fact the first Toleman with a chassis designed specifically for Formula 1, as the previous TG181's chassis was directly derived from the TG280 Formula 2 model.
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| TOLEMAN TG183B, Derek Warwick Brands Hatch, European GP 1983 |
Unfortunately for the British team, a change in regulations implemented by the federation in October 1982 required cars to adopt a flat-bottom design, thus eliminating the use of ground effect. This forced Toleman's historic designer, Rory Byrne, to radically revise the original project for the 1983 season. The new car retained the TG183 name but added a “B” to differentiate it from the earlier version.
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| TOLEMAN TG183, Derek Warwick Las Vegas, Caesars Palace GP 1982 |
Byrne created a car quite different from its competitors, as was typical of the British team, with the most distinctive feature being the double rear wing. The short, squared-off side pods ended with a profile that rose to connect to a second rear wing, placed in front of the rear axle. This allowed it to take advantage of the car’s full width, unlike the main rear wing, which was restricted in size due to regulations. This workaround, devised to compensate for the loss of ground effect, was not the TG183B’s only unusual trait. The front nose was also notably retro and unique in design. The front wing was built on two levels, housing the intercooler radiators within. However, this solution led to weight distribution problems and poor corner entry, due to excess weight at the front, and was abandoned at the end of the season.
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| TOLEMAN TG183B, Bruno Giacomelli Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1983 |
The TG183B was built around a carbon monocoque chassis, powered by an upgraded 1459cc Hart 415T turbo engine, with a five-speed Hewland FGA 400 gearbox. It ran on Pirelli tires and became a very significant car for Toleman. It was, in fact, the team’s first Formula 1 car to score points. Despite having only a five-million-pound budget for the entire season, the Witney-based team did an excellent job developing the car, and after a tough start, results began to flow in the second half of the year. Loyal driver Derek Warwick scored points in four consecutive races at the end of the season, and the second driver, Italian Bruno Giacomelli, finished sixth at the European Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, where both Tolemans finished in the points.
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| TOLEMAN TG183B, Derek Warwick Hockenheimring, German GP 1983 |
Unfortunately for Giacomelli, after a disappointing year and being consistently outperformed by his teammate, he announced his retirement from racing. Meanwhile, the further-evolved TG183B was set to tackle the 1984 season, entrusted to a young up-and-coming Brazilian driver, one Ayrton Senna.
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