A former Formula One boss who lived in made his home in Suffolk for many years has died, aged 86.

If you lived in Gedding, near Felsham, during the 1970s, 1980s or early 1990s, the chances are that you may have bumped into Ted Toleman.

At the height of his career, Mr Toleman worked with the stars of Formula One – and it was he who gave the legendary Ayrton Senna his big break in 1984.

Mr Toleman, who was originally born in Manchester, took over the running of Toleman Motorsport in 1966.

The company had been created by his grandfather 40 years previously, with the purpose of delivering Ford cars from their factory in Old Trafford, Manchester. The company later moved to London before settling in Brentwood in Essex.

In 1981, the Toleman team announced that it would be entering Formula One ahead of the 1981 season, and in 1984, headlines were made when they signed the young Brazilian driver Senna.

Bury Mercury: At the height of his career, Mr Toleman worked with the stars of Formula One – and it was he who gave Ayrton Senna his big break in 1984.At the height of his career, Mr Toleman worked with the stars of Formula One – and it was he who gave Ayrton Senna his big break in 1984. (Image: Newsquest)

In a statement released by Mr Toleman’s family, they described Toleman Motorsport as “the little team that could”.

“It gave birth to the careers of some of the great innovators in Formula One,” they said, “men who still have a strong presence in the sport today, including Rory Byrne, Alex Hawkridge, Pat Symonds, Ann Bradshaw, David Clare and the late Brian Hart.

In 1985, Mr Toleman embarked on a sporting endeavour of his own, with a quest to become the fastest man to cross the Atlantic.

He was joined by Sir Richard Branson on the quest, who gave his backing to secure a place on the Virgin Atlantic Challenger.

He narrowly failed to achieve his ambition when the vessel ran into difficulty as it raced towards the finishing line off the Scilly Isles.

Mr Toleman departed Suffolk in the early 1990s. He lived for some years in South Africa before making his home in the Philippines.  

Mr Toleman died on April 10 after a long illness. He is survived by his wife, Maiti, and one of his sons, Michael. His other son, Gary, died in 2003.