Dino Toso


Dino Toso was an Italian-Dutch engineer who worked as the Renault Formula One team's Director of Aerodynamics from until June.

Career

Toso studied automotive design and electronics at Apeldoorn Technical College, followed by a degree in automotive engineering. He then obtained his masters in aerodynamics and flight at Cranfield University in the UK. He worked at NLR - Netherlands Aerospace Centre 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.

Health

Toso was diagnosed with cancer in 2004. He continued to work whilst receiving treatment, but the illness was terminal. Two months after retiring, he died at home at the age of 39.