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.

 

[Il_leone]

Batman Honda says no teams other than McLaren have asked for 2016 engine supply

Honda have admitted that they have not got any offers. In the current climate of F1, would not have another team having the same engine help draw comparisons to see if it is the chassis or the engine

Problem is Red Bull's situation with Renault does it also include a clause that Toro Rosso will follow suit as well

I've said it again Honda are based in Milton Keynes not too far away from Red Bull's factory so giving the junior team the engines would it not be a bad idea to see if it works or not before getting the engines themselves

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If I was Honda I would want to lease the engines and get some of the money back to put into developing their ERS especially. Simply offer cheaper engines than the others would be a start

I know Honda engines are rubbish but that is because the way they are currently doing things aint working

 

[P1]

Batman Honda says no teams other than McLaren have asked for 2016 engine supply

Honda have admitted that they have not got any offers. In the current climate of F1, would not have another team having the same engine help draw comparisons to see if it is the chassis or the engine

Problem is Red Bull's situation with Renault does it also include a clause that Toro Rosso will follow suit as well

I've said it again Honda are based in Milton Keynes not too far away from Red Bull's factory so giving the junior team the engines would it not be a bad idea to see if it works or not before getting the engines themselves

-------------------------------------------------

If I was Honda I would want to lease the engines and get some of the money back to put into developing their ERS especially. Simply offer cheaper engines than the others would be a start

I know Honda engines are rubbish but that is because the way they are currently doing things aint working

Agree. Honda (and McLaren) would benefit from Honda having the engine installed in more cars.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

They'd really stand a chance if it was installed in all the cars.

 

[Il_leone]

Incidentally I've just received my F1 magazine for October and in it there is an article that suggests Red Bull should use Honda engines to make use that they are next door to each other and take advantage of working with some clever engineers at Red Bull.

So now why does not Mr Arai see that ?

 

[Road of Bones]

I suspect His Ronship has worked in a cunning "works' only" exclusivity clause into the McHonda supply partnership

 

[Il_leone]

Yes we know Ron has made sure that Mclaren get Honda's preference but getting the additional outside assistance with the Honda engines would help them accelerate back to the front

 

[RasputinLives]

Despite all this engine hype, I think people forget that Toro Rosso and red bull already have an engine contract with Renault next year. And Carlos Ghosn has said that while they do not wish to be an engine supplier, they will honor existing contracts.

Prior to this though Red Bull had made an official request to end the contract with Renault a year early. Which Renault accepted with glee.

I could be wrong about this and Renault could still be contracted to supply in 2016 but if that is the case then its something that has been missed by every F1 journalist, official and fan other than yourself. I hope you're right but I think you might be wrong.

 

[Il_leone]

Renault are contracted to supply existing deals but I thought the talk has been early termination. Now it is definite for Red Bull this is the case but their meddling is actually messing up Toro Rosso who might end up with a Renault engine after all because I can only see them getting year old Ferrari's or rubbish Honda engines despite what has been said

 

[Holgersson]

So STR got Ferrari 2015 power for 2016. Looks like a big stap forward compared to Renault!

 

[Grizzly]

Toro Rosso recruit former Manor team boss as director of racing

Glad to see Booth back racing

 

[Il_leone]

Toro Rosso F1 team more open since Verstappen left - Sainz

Helmut mentions that Verstappen had to move to because there was "considerable unrest" at Toro Rosso


Sainz admits there is more trust now in the team though

 

[FB]

Read somewhere on line that Toro Rosso plan to re-brand their Renault engines next season in the same way Red Bull have "Tag Heuer power units". I suppose if Renault get paid they don't care but it's all a bit stupid isn't it?

 

[Bill Boddy]

Watch it FB.

 

[RasputinLives]

Found this interesting

Gasly eyes 2018 seat after media 'mess' | PlanetF1

Basically Gasly implies that he blew his chances of a Toro Rosso seat by announcing to the media he was in the drive before Marko announced it. Marko did not take too kindly to it and decided to keep Kvyat.

A stroke of luck for Kvyat in a luckless year.

 

[The Artist.....]

And Gasly is talking to the media again, to tell them things that might jeopardise him in getting a place again... He really hasn't learnt from his mistake has he?!?

 

[Il_leone]

If Kyvat is on Sainz pace as he was in Melbourne throughout the season then I don;t see Gasly getting a seat unless one of the other 3 drivers moves on.

I guess its best to not open your mouth to the press stupidly like he did then.

I look at the Red Bull young driver programme currently they have no one in Gp2 because Sette Camara is no longer part of their programme and you have to go to GP3 where Niko Kari the test driver is .
Gasly only has 7 rounds to do in Super Formula which means he is going to be sitting on the sidelines a lot and if Kari does a Verstappen in GP3 and convinces Helmut enough. Then there is a chance he might get the nod instead of Gasly to be promoted


Interesting driver combinations at the following GP2 teams - Prema - the defending champs have two Ferrari academy drivers and Dams have two Renault young drivers

 

[RasputinLives]

Sean Gelael tested for Torro Rosso today. He has a lot of financial backing and not that much talent.

Proof beyond that Red Bull are very happy with their 4 drivers and have the 1 reserve they need if one of em leaves. All their juniors are long term development so they are not pushing them.

 

[teabagyokel]

This from Ted Kravitz's twitter (but don't panic):

 

[cider_and_toast]

Why on earth would you refuse a request to change a damaged tether?

Talk about shoot yourself in the foot.

 

[Olivier]

Toro Rosso may get a colour change in 2018

Playing chicken: KFC could be on Toro Rosso's F1 cars in 2018

They may look like this in the future: