The TS9 made its debut at the 1971 South African Grand Prix, Only one chassis was available for English driver/owner John Surtees but he retired with a gearbox problem. A second car was available for German Rolf Stommelen for Spain but the German retired with fuel pressure failure and Surtees finished 11th, At the Monaco Grand Prix Stommelen finished sixth and Surtees seventh. For Holland the Englishman finished fifth and the German was disqualified for being push-started by marshals after he spun. At the French Grand Prix Surtees finished eighth and Stommelen 11th. Derek Bell joined Stommelen and Surtees For Britain. Bell retired and Stommelen finished fifth with Surtees sixth, At the German Grand Prix, the Englishman finished seventh and the German tenth. In Austria, the Englishman retired with engine failure and the German finished seventh. English driver Mike Hailwood joined Stommelen and Surtees for the Italian Grand Prix and finished fourth. Stommelen retired with an accident after the start and Surtees also retired with engine failure. In Canada, the Englishman finished 11th and the German retired with overheating. Two changes followed, Stommelen was replaced by American Sam Posey and Hailwood returned to join Surtees before the United States Grand Prix. Hailwood finished 15th, Surtees 17th and Posey retired with piston failure.