Scuderia Toro Rosso was an Italian Formula One team; its name is a literal translation of Red Bull in Italian.
Notable Team Members and Drivers
Sebastian Vettel: Vettel’s time at Toro Rosso is most famously remembered for his win at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, Toro Rosso’s first and only victory in Formula 1. This win showcased Vettel’s talent, leading to his promotion to Red Bull Racing and subsequent four World Championships.
Max Verstappen: Starting his F1 career with Toro Rosso, Verstappen became the youngest driver to compete in Formula 1 when he debuted at 17 years old. His time at Toro Rosso was brief and it eventually led to his promotion to Red Bull Racing, where he has since become one of the sport’s most successful drivers.
Franz Tost: As Toro Rosso’s team principal, Tost was a significant figure in overseeing the team’s operations and its role in developing young talent for Red Bull Racing. Under his leadership, the team has nurtured several drivers who have gone on to achieve multiple Driver’ titles.
Previous Name: Minardi F1 Team
Next Name: Scuderia AlphaTauri
Often referred to as Toro Rosso or STR, it was one of two teams owned by the Austrian company Red Bull, the other being Red Bull Racing. Functioning as a feeder team for Red Bull Racing, Toro Rosso aimed to nurture talented drivers for the main team. The team debuted in the 2006 Formula One season and achieved full autonomy from its sibling team in 2010.
The team’s beginnings followed the sale of Paul Stoddart’s Minardi team to Red Bull’s owner, Dietrich Mateschitz, at the end of 2005, leading to the Minardi team’s transformation into Toro Rosso. Initially, Mateschitz shared a 50/50 ownership with ex-Formula One driver Gerhard Berger. Red Bull, however, regained complete ownership in late November 2008 by acquiring Berger’s stake.
Toro Rosso used Ferrari V8 engines from 2007 to 2013, continuing a contract previously held by their senior team, which switched to Renault at the end of 2006. Although Toro Rosso also moved to Renault engines in 2014, they reverted to Ferrari power in 2016, then switched back to Renault in 2017 under the Toro Rosso brand, and finally to Honda engines in 2018. The team was led by principal Franz Tost, who formerly worked with BMW’s motorsport division.
Vitantonio Liuzzi earned the team its first point in its debut season at the 2006 United States Grand Prix. The team’s first and only podium finish, pole position, and victory were achieved by Sebastian Vettel at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix. In 2015, Max Verstappen made his debut with Toro Rosso at the Australian Grand Prix, becoming the youngest driver in F1 history at 17 years and 166 days old.
In 2020, it was rebranded as Scuderia AlphaTauri to highlight Red Bull’s fashion brand AlphaTauri, and before the 2024 season, it went through another rebrand as RB Formula One Team.
Toro Rosso Formula One World Championship Records
| First entry | 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| Races entered | 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 entry | 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix |
Toro Rosso Constructor Championship Results
| Year | Name | Car | No. | Drivers | Points | WCC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Scuderia Toro Rosso | STR1 | 20. 21. | Vitantonio Liuzzi Scott Speed | 1 | 9th |
| 2007 | Scuderia Toro Rosso | STR2 | 18. 19. 19. | Vitantonio Liuzzi Scott Speed Sebastian Vettel | 8 | 7th |
| 2008 | Scuderia Toro Rosso | STR2B STR3 | 14. 15. | Sébastien Bourdais Sebastian Vettel | 39 | 6th |
| 2009 | Scuderia Toro Rosso | STR4 | 11. 11. 12. | Sébastien Bourdais Jaime Alguersuari Sébastien Buemi | 8 | 10th |
| 2010 | Scuderia Toro Rosso | STR5 | 16. 17. | Sébastien Buemi Jaime Alguersuari | 13 | 9th |
| 2011 | Scuderia Toro Rosso | STR6 | 18. 19. | Sébastien Buemi Jaime Alguersuari | 41 | 8th |
| 2012 | Scuderia Toro Rosso | STR7 | 16. 17. | Daniel Ricciardo Jean-Éric Vergne | 26 | 9th |
| 2013 | Scuderia Toro Rosso | STR8 | 18. 19. | Jean-Éric Vergne Daniel Ricciardo | 33 | 8th |
| 2014 | Scuderia Toro Rosso | STR9 | 25. 26. | Jean-Éric Vergne Daniil Kvyat | 30 | 7th |
| 2015 | Scuderia Toro Rosso | STR10 | 33. 55. | Max Verstappen Carlos Sainz | 67 | 7th |
| 2016 | Scuderia Toro Rosso | STR11 | 26. 33. 55. | Daniil Kvyat Max Verstappen Carlos Sainz | 63 | 7th |
| 2017 | Scuderia Toro Rosso | STR12 | 10. 26. 28. 55. | Pierre Gasly Daniil Kvyat Brendon Hartley Carlos Sainz | 53 | 7th |
| 2018 | Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda | STR13 | 10. 28. | Pierre Gasly Brendon Hartley | 33 | 9th |
| 2019 | Red Bull Toro Rosso Honda | STR14 | 10. 23. 26. | Pierre Gasly Alexander Albon Daniil Kvyat | 85 | 6th |
