Dino Toso
Encyclopedia
Dino Vittorio Marcellinus Toso (11 February 1969 – 13 August 2008) was an Italian
-Dutch
engineer who worked as the Renault
Formula One
team's Director of Aerodynamics from until June .
industry until 1995, when he was recruited by BMW
for its GT
racing programme. In he moved to the Jordan
F1 team, where he worked as a race engineer. His time at the team included its first win at the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix
, where he engineered driver Damon Hill
's victorious car.
For he followed former Jordan colleague Mike Gascoyne
to Benetton
, which had been sold to Renault the previous year and was rebranded as such in . At the end of he replaced the departing John Iley
as Chief Aerodynamicist, and held this position until June 2008, when he left due to ill health. His stint with Renault included the team's back-to-back Drivers' and Constructors' championships in and .
in 2004. He continued to work whilst receiving treatment, but the illness was terminal. Two months after retiring, he died at the age of 39.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
-Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
engineer who worked as the Renault
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
team's Director of Aerodynamics from until June .
Career
Toso worked in the Italian aerospaceAerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
industry until 1995, when he was recruited by BMW
BMW in motorsport
Throughout its history, BMW cars and motorcycles have been successful in a range of motorsport activities. Mainly before World War II, BMW motorcycles were winning e.g. at the Isle of Man TT. Apart from the factory efforts, many privateer teams enter BMW road cars in Touring car racing. BMW also...
for its GT
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a form of circuit auto racing with automobiles that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built or related to road-going sports cars....
racing programme. In he moved to the Jordan
Jordan Grand Prix
Jordan Grand Prix was a Formula One constructor that competed from 1991 to 2005. The team is named after Irish businessman and founder Eddie Jordan...
F1 team, where he worked as a race engineer. His time at the team included its first win at the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix
1998 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1998 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on August 30, 1998, at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps; contested over 44 laps, it was the 13th race of the 1998 Formula One season. The race was won by Damon Hill driving for the Jordan team...
, where he engineered driver Damon Hill
Damon Hill
Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE is a retired British racing driver. In 1996 Hill won the Formula One World Championship. As the son of the late Graham Hill, he is the only son of a world champion to win the title...
's victorious car.
For he followed former Jordan colleague Mike Gascoyne
Mike Gascoyne
Michael "Mike" Gascoyne is a designer of Formula One cars. He is currently the Chief Technical Officer of Team Lotus....
to Benetton
Benetton Formula
Benetton Formula Ltd., commonly referred to simply as Benetton, was a Formula One constructor that participated from to . The team was owned by the Benetton family who run a worldwide chain of clothing stores of the same name. In 2000 the team was purchased by Renault, but competed as Benetton for...
, which had been sold to Renault the previous year and was rebranded as such in . At the end of he replaced the departing John Iley
John Iley
John Iley is a motor racing aerodynamicist, most recently at McLaren Racing.After graduating from Lanchester Polytechnic, Coventry, while studying at Imperial College, London, he worked on wind tunnel testing and data analysis of a sports prototypes....
as Chief Aerodynamicist, and held this position until June 2008, when he left due to ill health. His stint with Renault included the team's back-to-back Drivers' and Constructors' championships in and .
Health
Toso was diagnosed with cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 2004. He continued to work whilst receiving treatment, but the illness was terminal. Two months after retiring, he died at the age of 39.