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.

 

[Slyboogy]

I heard Vergne hasnt impressed manyin the series he has currently racing at.

I think this is sign that both Toro Rosso drivers will get replaced next season....I put this post up in another forum

Harsh since both have been performing, if Barrichello thinks he has a lot of pressure I think he should look at these 2, most notably Buemi i am not saying this as a fan of his but as a neutral observer. He's beaten his team mates every season, effectively in his first season he out performed the team leader and replaced him as leader halfway through season, bet Alguersuari consistently since they have been paired, until this season where Alguersuari has benefitted for qualifying 18th and being slower in qualifying. He's also you can argue had the worst luck in the 2nd half of the season, he must feel quite bad since he's done good job.

I think a few here have raised good points on the battle for Toro Rosso and how Buemi should be the one kept on if one was to get dropped, but ideally both should be kept.

Also think Alguersuari should be kept on after all he's young and has got better every season, I very much doubt Ricciardo or Vergne could do a better job.

Vettel's improvement was so fast one being because he's a great driver and was the BMW tester before he made his debut with them, 2nd of all he came in to the sport where they had unlimited testing, unfortunately for these young Red Bull drivers they are going to be compared to Vettel who came into F1 in a different time.

I feel for these young drivers they have so little time to perform so well in a difficult time. I have not seen a rookie ever since the testing ban perfom well apart from Paul di Resta and that's mainly because he worked within the Force India team a year before and did several practice sessions last year.

Another point sorry for the long post i am sitting here waiting for a friend while in the car. Is that Red Bull having had this young driver programme for over 10 years, they have only produced one champion, forget champion they have only produced one driver who's consistently stayed in the sport without much trouble.

 

[Galahad]

If Alguersuari and Buemi can prove themselves faster than Vergne they shouldn't have much to fear. And given their experience that shouldn't be a problem, should it?

Personally I think the Frenchman has a bright future, but Helmut Marko is an arch-pragmatist - everybody in that programme has to prove their worth constantly.

 

[Slyboogy]

If Alguersuari and Buemi can prove themselves faster than Vergne they shouldn't have much to fear. And given their experience that shouldn't be a problem, should it?

Personally I think the Frenchman has a bright future, but Helmut Marko is an arch-pragmatist - everybody in that programme has to prove their worth constantly.

As you said "everybody in that programme has to prove their worth constantly" - and I think that both drivers have.

As for the Frenchman Vergne and Ricciardo for that matter, I think it's too early for them, neither of them have been in GP2, I also think Alguersuari came in a bit early, and he hasn't done GP2 either.

Think these young Red Bull drivers have a bit too much pressure and are getting thrown in to F1, luckily for them, it's not been mid-season like Grosjean. (apart from Alguersuari but that's because TR wanted Bourdais out)

 

[Galahad]

Red Bull are looking for another Vettel. They're not interested in another Liuzzi, and why should they be? They provide the funds to get these guys into F1 in the first place, they're entitled to judge them against the highest standards. It's no surprise that the vast majority are found to be wanting - and for every Red Bull driver who makes it to F1, four or five are discarded partway up the ladder.

 

[Slyboogy]

Red Bull are looking for another Vettel. They're not interested in another Liuzzi, and why should they be? They provide the funds to get these guys into F1 in the first place, they're entitled to judge them against the highest standards. It's no surprise that the vast majority are found to be wanting - and for every Red Bull driver who makes it to F1, four or five are discarded partway up the ladder.

I have stated this in a post above before, that the circumstances which Vettel came around where different, not only was he a test driver for BMW getting a lot of mileage under his belt, he was also in a period where there was unlimited testing. So far since unlimited testings been banned no rookie driver has excelled, Paul di Resta might be an exception but he isn't as great right now as made out to be, and he has a full year with Force India as a test driver in there understanding the car when DTM doesn't clash, and has had a lot of practice sessions prior to his first season.

These new Toro Rosso drivers are not getting what Vettel had previously, and that's a lot of time in the car, and the current drivers right now are having to give way to the younger ones in practice sessions, making them lose much needed time in the car.

I agree why they shouldn't be interested in another Liuzzi, but I think ever since they found Vettel they have just been chucking drivers into their car with limited experience, and once they are in the car they aren't doing them much favours either. They hardly going to find the next Vettel like that.

 

[RasputinLives]

I heard Vergne hasnt impressed manyin the series he has currently racing at..

I think you might have been misinformed on that matey. As I said he came 2nd in the Formula Renault 3.5 series by 9 points to his very highly rated team-mate Robert Wickens. If he hadn't been taken out in the last race by a backmarker he'd have won it so if thats not impressing then I wonder what he has to do! He finished 88 points in front of Ricciardo in the same series (all be it Ricciardo missed 4 rounds) and 76 points in front of Alexander Rossi the very highly rated kid from the U.S who will be Caterham's test driver next year.

As much as I love Buemi you can see why Toro Rosso would want to give this kid a try. I don't think he did too bad in his first session in an F1 car. Anyone else?

 

[Josh]

I watched him race a couple of times, must say I thought he was pretty impressive. However I do not think he should be put into F1 already, should move up to GP2 first imo.

 

[RasputinLives]

Maybe - Maybe not. I think Wickens will be at Virgin next year so if he can then Vergne can.

I can think of a fair few who missed out the GP2/F3000 step and did well for it: Seb, Rubens, Kimi etc

 

[Josh]

Yeah, but they had unlimited testing (and Seb already had a lot of testing experience at BMW)

 

[RasputinLives]

Maybe. I just think that they'd want to shove him in for a year to see how he goes. Its likely that Webber will retire or at least leave Red Bull at the end of 2012 - its also become obvious that Red Bull aren't going to replace him with Buemi or Alguersauri or they would have already done so. They've pushed Ricciardio into the sport to give him enough running to see if he should take Webber's seat so I think they'll do the same with Vergne - and I think it'll be best for his career. Even if he has a great year in GP2 next year that Red Bull seat will have been filled by the time he comes into F1. At least he's giving himself a shot this way.

 

[Slyboogy]

I think you might have been misinformed on that matey. As I said he came 2nd in the Formula Renault 3.5 series by 9 points to his very highly rated team-mate Robert Wickens. If he hadn't been taken out in the last race by a backmarker he'd have won it so if thats not impressing then I wonder what he has to do! He finished 88 points in front of Ricciardo in the same series (all be it Ricciardo missed 4 rounds) and 76 points in front of Alexander Rossi the very highly rated kid from the U.S who will be Caterham's test driver next year.

As much as I love Buemi you can see why Toro Rosso would want to give this kid a try. I don't think he did too bad in his first session in an F1 car. Anyone else?

Yeah I think I have been , I asked a few people that I know what they think of him, they are spot on with the upcoming drivers since they watch GP2 and other lower series's but they didn't seem that impressed by him. But from what I have read and hear, I think he seems better than Ricciardo, and if Red Bull are so keen to get Ricciardo in next year, then I am sure Vergne will be in next year too.

So I think both Toro Rosso drivers are out next season, and these to in.

Never knew you were a Buemi fan! Mooooooooose!!!!

 

[RasputinLives]

Never knew you were a Buemi fan! Mooooooooose!!!!

I have a soft spot for him but the better half is the big Moose fan ever since she saw the pics of him - she shows no interest in F1 but now will pop in when I'm watching to ask me where the Moose is. I think she genuinally believes he has a crash helmet with antlers on the top.

Lets hope we're wrong about him losing his Toro Rosso seat or that he finds a drive elsewhere. Moose to Williams anyone?

 

[RasputinLives]

So barring the season they had Vettel this is Toro Rosso's best season ever. 3 races to 3 points behind Sauber and 12 points behind Force India. I wouldn't be against them pulling that off actually although I think Force India might put a bit of a fight up - But with Buemi and Alguersauri going hell for leather to make sure they're in F1 next year I can see them getting that 6th spot which would be equal to the team's best.

Funny to thing they could have a complete new driver line up next year.

If they do become Team UAE and they lose their Italian roots I guess this season would be a fitting send off for the Toro Rosso/Minardi crew.

 

[Slyboogy]

Their new exhaust upgrade which they introduced in Suzuka but couldn't run it since it got cracked after a few laps in practice has really worked well for them, for a team that said that they will be concentrating on next year's car that is quite an upgrade. I can see them overhauling Sauber since they have just went backwards after that reported "major" upgrade in Suzuka.

They could get get Force India too, Toro Rosso seem to have much better race pace than qualifying pace.

If they do become Team UAE and they lose their Italian roots I guess this season would be a fitting send off for the Toro Rosso/Minardi crew.

I have heard that it was a Spanish company that was going to buy them, I hope not, otherwise that means Alguersauri has more chance of staying rather than Moose!

 

[Viscount]

With limited seats available, if Toro Rosso drop either of their drivers without anymore Red Bull backing do you think they'll be able to find another seat or will that be their F1 career over?

 

[Slyboogy]

Well the one that gets dropped this season, I would say no, the driver market this season is basically closed up, only seat remaining worth going to is to Williams, and even then it's reported Williams are looking at a handful of drivers.

Whoever gets dropped next year with the driver market supposedly going crazy may have the chance to find another seat.

 

[RasputinLives]

and another contender for the Toro Rosso seat next year!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95853

Although he beat the likes of Alguersauri, Bianchi and Pic to win karting title he hasn't exactly set the world alight in other formula's but that was mainly due to the cars he was driving - won a couple of GP2 races last year and spent some time out injured after a heavy crash at Belgium.

Personally I think he's at least 5th in line for the seat behind Ricciardo, Alguersauri, Vergne and Buemi but to be honest I just have no idea how this one is going to go.

Toro Rosso are currently having one of their best seasons ever and whilst Alguersauri has nudged slightly ahead of Buemi in the standings of late you can't really say there is that much between them. Ricciardo had been hyped up big time and you'd have thought of him as a cert a while back but he's not really impressed in the HRT at all and when you think that Vergne massively outscored him(even taking into account Ricciardo missing 4 races) you have to question the hype around him.

Personally I think we'll def still see Jamie in next years Toro Rosso/Team UAE however as for the other seat I have no idea!

 

[RasputinLives]

bloomin eck we have another contender

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95884

Can't say I know much about Ceccon though!

 

[FB]

Toro Rosso will be pushing for a 3 car team soon. It's the effect fo those Ferrari engines...

 

[Slyboogy]

I have to say...this is getting quite ridiculous.