Current AlphaTauri (formerly Toro Rosso)

Toro Rosso

FIA Entry: Scuderia Toro Rosso
Car 18: Sebastien Buemi
Car 19: Jamie Alguersuari
Engine: Ferrari V8
Team Principa:l Franz Tost
Technical Director: Giorgi Ascanelli
Race Engineer Car 18: Riccardo Adami
Race Engineer Car 19:Andrea Landi

Stats as of end 2010

First Entered 2006
Races Entered 90
Race Wins 1
Pole Positions 1
Fastest Laps 0
Driver World Championships 0
Constructor World Championships 0

The Beginning

Toro Rosso took over the Minardi entry in F1 in 2006. Minardi took part in 345 Grands Prix between 1985 and 2005 without a single win, podium, pole or fastest lap but were the starting point for double World Champion Fernando Alonso and race winners Mark Webber and Jarno Trulli.

Red Bull Takeover

At the end of 2005 current Minardi team owner Paul Stoddart sold the team to Red Bull to allow them to create a “Junior” team to bring new driver talent into F1. The Red Bull take over resulted in a change of name to Squadra Toro Rosso and then Scuderia Toro Rosso amidst much complaint from Minardi fans. For their first season in 2006 drivers Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed used the STR1 chassis, which was essentially the Red Bull RB1 car. These were fitted with rev and air flow limited 3.0 litre Ford engines to allow Toro Rosso to compete in the new 2.4 litre formula in place for 2006.

Liuzzi scored a point for the team at the US Grand Prix, a race where only 9 cars finished. The development of the new engines by the other teams put Toro Rosso in a very uncompetitive position and they tended to qualify toward the back of the grid and run in those positions in the race.

Ferrari Customer

With the senior Red Bull team moving to Renault power for 2007 Toro Rosso picked up their Ferrari engine contract. Speed and Liuzzi continued as drivers. The STR2 proved unreliable and both drivers made mistakes during the year leading to speculation that they would be replaced. Speed eventually lost his seat to BMW test driver, and Red Bull junior driver, Sebastien Vettel. In changeable weather at the Chinese Grand Prix Vettel bought his car home 4th with Liuzzi 6th.

For 2008 Vettel was joined by reigning Champ Car Series winner Sebastien Bourdais as Liuzzi moved to Force India. Bourdais finished 7th at the opening race of the season in Australia and Vettel then took 4th in Monaco. As the season progressed Vettel in particular was a regular points scorer and in wet qualifying at the Italian Grand Prix put his car on pole. The rain continued into race day and Vettel went on to win the race becoming the youngest ever Grand Prix victor. More points finishes for Vettel in the final races of the season put Toro Rosso 6th in the Constructors Championship and earned him a place in the Red Bull senior team for 2009.

Sebastien Buemi joined Bourdais for 2009 and after the highs of 2008 the team came back down to earth in ’09. Bourdais was dismissed mid season due to poor race results and Jaime Alguersuari took his seat for the remainder of the season. The drivers managed a few low points finished but the team dropped to 10th in the Constructors Championship.

Buemi and Alguersuari continued for 2010 and again picked up some minor points placing’s, helped by the revised points scoring system for the season. The team finished 9th in the Constructors Championship but were the lowest placed of the established F1 teams.

2011

Toro Rosso continue with the same driver line up in 2011 and, with the STR6 car and Ferrari engines, hope they can move further up the grid.

 

[Jos the Boss]

Whatever happened to the guy that dominated GP2 instead?!

 

[RasputinLives]

Instead of who?

 

[Bushi]

Marko is denying that the Russian Gp has anything to do with them signing Kvyat. I call that bull, there are enough talented and experienced drivers out there instead of Kvyat.
There is a Russian Gp next year and suddenly we have two Russian drivers on the grid next year, both of them under 20.

 

[KekeTheKing]

No question about it. If there wasn't a GP in Russia for the foreseeable future, there's no way Kvyat, let alone Sirotkin, would be on the grid. I couldn't care less about TR though, so good for them.

 

[Bill Boddy]

This will be the second year at Austin, how many Americans are there in F1?

 

[Fenderman]

Alexander Rossi is it. Caterham's reserve driver. No news on a race seat yet but he's involved in organising an event at Austin to promote F1 to aspiring drivers. Planting an acorn in the hope of growing an oak it seems.

 

[Bill Boddy]

Oaks seem to grow more quickly in Russia.

 

[Road of Bones]

In Russia, Oaks grow you...

...I'll get me coat...

 

[KekeTheKing]

Nobody's terribly eager to throw big sponsorship dollars at an American driver Bill Boddy. Rossi will likely never get a seat in part because of this. And a US GP obviously isn't something that is just coming on line like the Russian one. Enthusiasm and the willingness to dispose of multi-millions is at an all-time high.

 

[RasputinLives]

I still think Kyvat is more than a pay driver.

Red Bull were always gonna promte one of the youth drivers and they've all been patchy this year apart from him.

Maybe I'm too keen to believe.

 

[RasputinLives]

Button suggest he came into F1 too early and that Kvyat may end up wishing he had turned the seat down for a few more years in junior formula.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/110834

From all accounts that is what Vandorne did so I guess we'll see who's wherebin a couple of years.

 

[sushifiesta]

It's all well and good saying he could do with an extra couple of years gaining experience in lower formulae but if Helmut Marko tells you you're ready I suspect your options are to either accept the opportunity or get booted out the Red Bull door.

 

[RasputinLives]

I suspect that too. Especially as he has not multi-millionaire backer. Vandorne had the luxury of still being backed by Mclaren. I suspect if Kyvat had said no he'd have been out on his ear and begging to Russian Millionaires.

I have a sneaky suspicion that Kyvat may surprise a few people next year.

 

[FB]

Every time I read Vandorne I see von Doom, from the Fantastic Four

 

[RasputinLives]

Now if only we convince him to style his helmet on Dooms mask and he's got an extra helping of awesome.

 

[RasputinLives]

For those who hold an interest Red Bull have trimmed their junior programme down to just 3 drivers this year with Carlos Sainz Jr being the only one to be retained from last year.

Sainz Jr will compete in the 3.5 World series along with 17 year old newcomer Pierre Gasly who won the Eurocup Renault 2.0 series last year.

The other new driver is the UKs very own 19 year old Alex Lynn who will drive for Carlin Motorsport in GP3 for 2014 after finishing 3rd in European F3 last year.

With this being a do or die year for Vergne (move up or move on) then its more than likely one of these 3 will probably be in a Toro Rosso seat in 2015. Sainz Jr would be favourite but despite being young Gasly might get it on pure speed. Bit early to be talking about it but they are the 3 names to look out for.

 

[teabagyokel]

FDC dumped then, RasputinLives. Mixed blessing, I suppose, because the RBYP has only come good for Vettel, really.

 

[RasputinLives]

I think as soon as we found out FDC wasn't promoted to the race seat it was a cert he'd be leaving the programme.

It depends on how you interpret success I suppose. In recent times the RBYP has brought 6 drivers through the lower formulas to F1, 2 of whom are now driving for the A-team. There is no doubting its a 'perform or you're out' environment but if you can manage that sort of pressure you will at least get your shot which is a much better situation than getting all the best results possible and not getting a shot as has happened to some drivers. So overall I'm a fan of their programme.

Be interesting to see how close the Toro Rosso is to the Red Bull this year now they are running the same engines. With the ne regs it could be that Vergne and Kyvat have a better car than expected to show us what they can do in.

 

[Plutus]

I checking on Oliver Rowlands results a couple of weeks ago, when I spotted that French bloke. I hope he keeps his head and keeps on progressing steadily, then I think he will turn out to be one of F1's biggest talents.

I have got mixed feelings towards the Junior programme of Red Bull. The idea of nurturing young talent through the lower categories and into F1, if they have proven to be suitable, is great. The problem I have with it though is that once there dropped they more or less have no chance of getting back into F1 because they haven't got any other sponsors to rely on.

 

[Il_leone]

Plutus RasputinLives

this was covered in Autosport last year - how the Red Bull Driver Programme has proven to be very brutal compared to say Mercedes system

Yes Vettel has been the only success - you can argue whether he was in the right place at the right time as 2008 Toro Rosso car was a quick car indeed

FDC knew he had to win Renault WS to stake his claim but for whatever reason he did not be it team issues, car issues or driver issues and was considered a failure

BUT as Trevor Carlin who helps run the Red Bull young driver programme through BRitish F3 pointed out that each guy when they signed up knew what they were in for " Guaranteed $200,000 basic income and supported through their junior career through various categories with an opportunity to drive for one of the best teams in F1 if they could prove themselves to be a race winner"

- just imagine if Red Bull actually had Hulkenberg going through the programme instead of him scratching around to find a seat because of people like Maldonado and Perez. I would not have no hesitation if Hulkenberg succeeded.

The carrot has been dangled out to all of them to prove it