Team story
Origins
Mike Earle and Greg Field had built Onyx’s experience in junior formulae. Stefano Modena’s Formula 3000 title in 1987 preceded the step up with its own Formula 1 chassis in 1989. Alan Jenkins designed the ORE-1; Stefan Johansson offered experience, while Bertrand Gachot was the rookie.
Jean-Pierre Van Rossem’s Moneytron funding became a decisive part of the programme.
The Formula 1 journey
The first appearances ended in pre-qualifying, before Johansson secured a start in Mexico. The Swede scored points at Paul Ricard and took third place at Estoril in 1989. The Portuguese podium remained the team’s only one.
JJ Lehto replaced Gachot towards the end of the season, entering Formula 1 within an organisation already under considerable financial strain.
Historical timeline
Three chapters in the story of Onyx
Three episodes to revisit the people, cars and races that shaped this journey.
First appearance · Mexican Grand Prix
Stefan Johansson · Mexican Grand Prix 1989. The recorded outcome is DNF. This is the first recorded race start, or the first entry if the team never started a race.
Sporting landmark · Portuguese Grand Prix
Stefan Johansson · Portuguese Grand Prix 1989. The recorded position is P3; this number alone does not show whether the driver completed the race distance. This marks the first win or podium where one exists, otherwise the highest recorded placing for this constructor.
Latest recorded appearance · German Grand Prix
Gregor Foitek · German Grand Prix 1990. The recorded outcome is DNF. This is the last race start attributed to this constructor in the archive, not necessarily the end of the organisation behind it.
A distinctive way of racing
The ORE-1 combined a monocoque designed for the team with the Ford Cosworth DFR. Pre-qualifying made reliability essential in a short session: a team could have the pace for a podium and still lose many opportunities before regular qualifying. Earle’s Onyx sought to transfer organisational capabilities developed with junior-category chassis to the World Championship.
What remains
In 1990 Moneytron’s withdrawal was followed by the arrival of Peter Monteverdi and the Foitek family. Gregor Foitek replaced Johansson, while the ORE-1B remained a revision of the previous car. Moving to Switzerland did not save the programme, which stopped during the season.
Less than a year separated the Estoril podium from closure: results and financial stability had followed different trajectories.