Scuderia Toro Rosso facts for kids
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| Full name | {{{Long_name}}} |
|---|---|
| Base | Faenza, Italy |
| Noted drivers | {{{Drivers}}} |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Engines | Cosworth, Ferrari, Renault, Toro Rosso, Honda |
| Debut | {{{Debut}}} |
| Races competed | 268 |
| Constructors' Championships | 0 (best finish: 6th, 2008 & 2019) |
| Drivers' Championships | 0 (best finish: 8th, Vettel, 2008) |
| Race victories | 1 |
| Podiums | 3 |
| Points | 500 |
| Pole positions | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 1 |
| Final race | {{{Last race}}} |
Scuderia Toro Rosso (which means "Red Bull Team" in Italian) was an Italian Formula One racing team. It was one of two Formula One teams owned by the company Red Bull. The other team is Red Bull Racing. Toro Rosso acted as a junior team. Its main goal was to train new, talented drivers for the main Red Bull Racing team.
The team started racing in the 2006 season. By 2010, it became more independent from its sister team. In 2020, the team changed its name to Scuderia AlphaTauri. This new name helps promote Red Bull's fashion brand.
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The team was created when Paul Stoddart sold his Minardi team to Dietrich Mateschitz, the owner of Red Bull. This happened at the end of 2005. Minardi was then renamed Toro Rosso.
Mateschitz later shared ownership of the team 50/50 with former Formula One driver Gerhard Berger. But in late 2008, Red Bull bought back Berger's share. This made Red Bull the full owner of Toro Rosso again.
From 2007 to 2013, Toro Rosso used Ferrari V8 engines. They took over a contract that Red Bull Racing had ended. For 2014, Toro Rosso also switched to Renault engines. However, they went back to Ferrari power in 2016. Then, in 2017, they switched back to Renault engines. Finally, in 2018, they started using Honda engines. The team principal, or boss, was Franz Tost.
Vitantonio Liuzzi scored the team's first point in its first season. This happened at the 2006 United States Grand Prix. The team's first podium, pole position, and only victory were achieved by Sebastian Vettel. This amazing moment happened at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen became the youngest driver to ever race in Formula One. He was only 17 years and 166 days old. This happened in a Toro Rosso car at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix.
Contents
How the Team Started
The Minardi team had been racing in Formula One from 1985 to 2005. Even though they had many fans, they were not one of the most successful teams. They never finished on the podium. Their best result was fourth place in only three races.
Minardi's owner, Paul Stoddart, wanted to sell the team to someone who could make it better. He also wanted the team to stay in its traditional home in Italy. The deal with Red Bull GmbH included a rule. It said the team had to keep its headquarters in Faenza, Italy, until at least the 2007 season.
Red Bull changed the team's name to fit their own marketing plans. But they used an Italian name to remember the team's Italian roots. Red Bull took control of the team on November 1, 2005. They immediately changed the name. It was first reported as 'Squadra Toro Rosso' (meaning 'team Red Bull'). But then it was changed to 'Scuderia Toro Rosso'. 'Squadra' is more like a football team, while 'Scuderia' means a stable for racing horses. This word is often used for Italian motor racing teams, like Ferrari.
Many Minardi fans were sad about the name change. More than 15,000 people signed an online petition to keep the Minardi name. But their efforts were not successful.
Racing Highlights and Key Drivers
Early Years with Cosworth and Ferrari Engines
In 2006, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed were the main drivers for Toro Rosso. The team used a modified version of the 2005 Red Bull Racing car. They also used older Cosworth V10 engines. Other teams felt this was unfair. But Toro Rosso said they had the rights to the car design.
For 2007, Toro Rosso switched to Ferrari V8 engines from the previous year. Vitantonio Liuzzi continued as a driver. Scott Speed was the second driver at first. But he was later replaced by Sebastian Vettel. At the Chinese Grand Prix Grand Prix, Toro Rosso had its best results. Vettel finished fourth and Liuzzi finished sixth. This earned eight points for the team.
In 2008, Sebastian Vettel and Sébastien Bourdais were the drivers. The team continued to use Ferrari engines. At the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, Vettel achieved something amazing. He took pole position and won the race! This was the first win for both Vettel and the Toro Rosso team. It was also the first time an Italian team other than Ferrari won a race since 1957. Vettel's great performance helped Toro Rosso score 39 points. This was more than their senior team, Red Bull, scored that year.
For 2009, Vettel moved to Red Bull Racing. Sébastien Buemi and Sébastien Bourdais became the drivers. Later in the season, Jaime Alguersuari replaced Bourdais. The team finished tenth in the championship.
Renault and Ferrari Engines (2010-2016)
In 2010, Sébastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari continued as drivers. Alguersuari scored his first career points. This happened by finishing ninth at the Malaysian Grand Prix Grand Prix.
For 2011, Buemi and Alguersuari remained. Daniel Ricciardo joined as a reserve driver. The team showed good progress. Alguersuari had his best F1 result, finishing seventh at the 2011 Italian Grand Prix.
In 2012, Daniel Ricciardo and Jean-Éric Vergne became the new drivers. The team aimed to train new talent. They scored points in the first two races. But then they struggled for a while. They finished ninth in the Constructors' Championship.
Ricciardo and Vergne stayed for 2013. Ricciardo had some strong performances. He qualified fifth at the 2013 British Grand Prix. Vergne also had a great race in Canada, finishing sixth. At the end of the season, Ricciardo was promoted to Red Bull Racing.
From 2014, Toro Rosso started using Renault engines. Jean-Éric Vergne stayed, and Daniil Kvyat joined him. Kvyat broke Sebastian Vettel's record. He became the youngest points scorer in Formula One history at the Australian Grand Prix Grand Prix. Later in 2014, Max Verstappen was signed to replace Vergne for 2015. Kvyat was also promoted to Red Bull Racing.
In 2015, Carlos Sainz Jr. partnered Max Verstappen. This was a very successful season for Toro Rosso. Verstappen had two fourth-place finishes. The team earned their highest points total ever at that time. Verstappen scored 49 points, and Sainz Jr. scored 18 points.
For 2016, Toro Rosso returned to using Ferrari engines. However, they used the 2015-spec engines. After a crash in Russia, Daniil Kvyat returned to Toro Rosso from Red Bull. Max Verstappen took his place at Red Bull.
Renault and Honda Engines (2017-2019)
In 2017, Toro Rosso used Renault engines again. Carlos Sainz Jr. and Daniil Kvyat were the drivers. Later in the season, Pierre Gasly replaced Kvyat for some races. Sainz Jr. moved to Renault's team. Brendon Hartley then joined Gasly for the last races.
For 2018, Toro Rosso made a big change. They signed a deal to use Honda engines. This was a full partnership, meaning Honda gave them direct support. Pierre Gasly and Brendon Hartley were the drivers. Gasly had a great race in Bahrain, finishing fourth. The team faced some reliability issues throughout the year. They finished ninth in the championship.
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In 2019, Pierre Gasly moved to Red Bull. Daniil Kvyat returned to Toro Rosso, and Alexander Albon joined him. Kvyat finished tenth in the first race in Australia. Albon scored his first points in Bahrain. The team had a fantastic result at the wet 2019 German Grand Prix. Kvyat finished third, and Albon finished sixth. This was Toro Rosso's first podium since their win in 2008.
Before the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix, Albon was promoted to Red Bull. Gasly returned to Toro Rosso. The team continued to score points consistently. At the exciting 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix, Toro Rosso got their third podium. Gasly finished second, holding off Lewis Hamilton. In the final race, Kvyat finished ninth. This gave the team their 500th point. Toro Rosso finished the season in sixth place. This was their best ever points total in the team's history.
Team Sponsorship
Sports sponsorship is a big part of Red Bull's marketing. Red Bull has bought and renamed many sports teams. This includes Red Bull Racing (formerly Jaguar Racing) and football clubs like FC Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig.
From 2016 to 2019, Toro Rosso had a deal with the Japanese watch company Casio. They promoted Casio's Edifice brand. In 2019, the team also gained sponsors from Thailand, like Moose Craft Cider and PTT Lubricants. This was partly because of their driver Alexander Albon.
Images for kids
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Vitantonio Liuzzi driving for the team at the 2007 Malaysian Grand Prix
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Sebastian Vettel leads Sébastien Bourdais at the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix.
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Sébastien Bourdais and Felipe Massa battling for position early on in the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix.
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See also
In Spanish: Scuderia Toro Rosso para niños
