Scuderia Toro Rosso (Italian for Team Red Bull) was an Italian Formula One racing team that competed in the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2006 to 2019. The team was established after Red Bull GmbH purchased the former Minardi team in late 2005, and served as the junior outfit to Red Bull Racing. Its mission was to develop young drivers from the Red Bull Junior Team, giving them experience in Formula One before potential promotion to the senior Red Bull team.
The team was based in Faenza, Italy, with additional facilities in Bicester, England. In 2020, the team was rebranded as Scuderia AlphaTauri, named after Red Bull’s fashion brand.
History[]
Formation (2005–2006)[]
In September 2005, Red Bull GmbH founder Dietrich Mateschitz purchased the struggling Minardi Formula One team from Paul Stoddart. The team was renamed Scuderia Toro Rosso for the 2006 season, effectively becoming Red Bull’s sister outfit. The name translates directly into Italian from "Red Bull."
Toro Rosso initially used chassis supplied by Red Bull Technology, along with Ferrari engines, though these were rebranded as "Toro Rosso" engines.
Early Years (2006–2007)[]
In its debut season, Toro Rosso fielded Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed. The team struggled at the back of the grid but gained valuable experience. By 2007, Toro Rosso switched to Ferrari V8 engines and achieved modest improvements, though reliability and competitiveness remained limited.
Breakthrough and Vettel’s Victory (2008)[]
The 2008 season marked Toro Rosso’s breakthrough. With Sebastian Vettel and Sébastien Bourdais as drivers, the team developed the STR3 chassis mid-season. Vettel stunned the Formula One world by winning the 2008 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, securing Toro Rosso’s first and only race victory. The result also made Vettel the youngest driver to win a Grand Prix at the time.
Development Team for Red Bull (2009–2013)[]
From 2009 onward, Toro Rosso solidified its role as a training ground for Red Bull’s talent pool. Vettel’s promotion to Red Bull Racing led to further opportunities for drivers such as Jaime Alguersuari, Sébastien Buemi, and Daniel Ricciardo. The team remained a midfield outfit, frequently scoring points but not challenging for podiums.
Midfield Competitor (2014–2016)[]
With the introduction of the V6 turbo-hybrid era in 2014, Toro Rosso switched to Renault power units. Notably, Max Verstappen made his Formula One debut with the team in 2015 at just 17 years old, becoming the youngest driver in the sport’s history. Alongside Carlos Sainz Jr., Toro Rosso gained recognition for developing one of the most promising driver pairings in the field.
Later Years and Honda Partnership (2017–2019)[]
After a difficult 2017 with Renault engines, Toro Rosso partnered with Honda in 2018, becoming the Japanese manufacturer’s exclusive works team in preparation for supplying Red Bull Racing in 2019. Despite initial skepticism, Toro Rosso and Honda made steady progress, achieving podium finishes in 2019 through Daniil Kvyat (third in Germany) and Pierre Gasly (second in Brazil).
Rebranding as AlphaTauri (2020)[]
Ahead of the 2020 season, Red Bull announced that Toro Rosso would be rebranded as Scuderia AlphaTauri, promoting the company’s fashion brand. The rebranding marked the end of the Toro Rosso name after 14 seasons in Formula One.
Toro Rosso 2018-2019 logo.
Jean-Éric Vergne testing the STR8.
History of Team Personnel[]
Team Owner[]
Team Principal[]
- Gerhard Berger (2006–2008)
- Franz Tost (2006–2019)
Technical Director[]
- Gabriele Tredozi (2006)
- Alex Hitzinger (2006–2007)
- Giorgio Ascanelli (2007–2019)
Formula One Statistical Overview[]
Formula One Record[]
Statistics[]
| Entries | 268 |
| Starts | 268 |
| Pole Positions | 1 |
| Front Row Starts | 1 |
| Race Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 3 |
| Fastest Laps | 1 |
| Points | 500 |
| Laps Raced | 26972 |
| Distance Raced | 135805 |
| Races Led | 4 |
| Laps Led | 56 |
| Distance Led | 316 |
| Doubles | 1 |
Wins[]
| No. | Race | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2008 Italian Grand Prix |  Sebastian Vettel
|
Complete Formula One results[]
- Main article: Scuderia Toro Rosso/Results
Toro Rosso Grand Prix Driver Count[]
| Name | Duration | Grand Prix Starts |
|---|---|---|
 Daniil Kvyat
|
2014, 2016-2017, 2019 | 70 |
 Jean-Éric Vergne
|
2012-2014 | 58 |
 Carlos Sainz, Jr.
|
2015-2017 | 56 |
 Sébastien Buemi
|
2009-2011 | 55 |
| Jaime Alguersuari
|
2009-2011 | 46 |
 Daniel Ricciardo
|
2012-2013 | 39 |
| Pierre Gasly
|
2017-2018, 2019 | 35 |
 Scott Speed
|
2006-2007 | 28 |
| Sébastien Bourdais
|
2008-2009 | 27 |
| Sebastian Vettel
|
2007-2008 | 25 |
 Brendon Hartley
|
2017-2018 | 25 |
 Max Verstappen
|
2015-2016 | 23 |
 Alexander Albon
|
2019 | 12 |
References[]
References:
- ↑ "Toro Rosso: Naoki Yamamoto to make F1 debut in Japanese Grand Prix practice". BBC Sport. 7 October 2019. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/49957331. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
| V T E |  Scuderia Toro Rosso
|
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable Personnel Franz Tost · Alex Hitzinger · James Key · Dietrich Mateschitz · Gerhard Berger | |||
| Former drivers Pierre Gasly · Daniil Kvyat · Jaime Alguersuari · Sébastien Buemi · Sébastien Bourdais · Sebastian Vettel · Scott Speed · Vitantonio Liuzzi · Daniel Ricciardo · Jean-Éric Vergne · Max Verstappen · Carlos Sainz, Jr. · Brendon Hartley · Alexander Albon | |||
| Cars STR1 · STR2 · STR2B · STR3 · STR4 · STR5 · STR6 · STR7 · STR8 · STR9 · STR10 · STR11 · STR12 · STR13 · STR14 | |||
| See also Red Bull | |||