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.

 

[Rutherford]

Well done Honda. Well done Toro Rosso. Have they inherited the best chassis on the grid?

 

[Rutherford]

Two races in and Brendon Hartley has already been told to step up his game by Marko.
F1 isn’t a finishing school...

 

[RasputinLives]

I heard a rumour that Hartley is managed by Flavio Briatore. Can anyone confirm or deny this? (I did try Mr Google but he doesn't know)

 

[cider_and_toast]

Hartley is hugely under performing and I'd stake a months wages on him not finishing the season.

 

[RasputinLives]

I wouldn't bet against it but it raises the issue - who the bally flip have they got waiting to replace him?

 

[cider_and_toast]

JEV or Danny K ??

 

[F1Brits_90]

Hartley is hugely under performing and I'd stake a months wages on him not finishing the season.

I wouldn't say under perfroming as 10th 11th is where you would expect toro rosso to be But reason why hartley is in that seat. Because they were struggling to fill 2 seats at toro rosso in the 1st place. So where are they going to get a replacement & dont say sean gelael as id rather have rio haryanto, my even i could do a better job than gelael. As if you think stroll only their thru money youve seen nothing yet

Although its amazing how fickle marko is, didnt really want him at toro rosso but 1 4th place all of sudden media talking about him leaf frogging sainz if Riccardio leaves for mercedes or ferrari

 

[teabagyokel]

I'm assuming that JEV is pretty happy where he is, for the moment.

 

[RasputinLives]

They did have Sergio Settle Camara in their young drivers programme but ditched him. Camera is starting to look pretty good in F1 so I wonder if that was a mistake.

The closest they have anywhere near F1 is Dan Ticktum and he'd need to win F3 to get a super licence for 2019.

I reckon Hartley is here for the next two seasons at least.......... Unless they decide to recall Felix Da Costa.

 

[teabagyokel]

If they find Hartley surplus, they will probably be less inflexible about who will be in the seat. I think that particular principle lasts as long as there is a Vettel, Buemi, Alguersuari, Ricciardo, Vergne, Kvyat, Verstappen, Sainz or Scott Speed.

 

[Galahad]

Much better performance from Hartley today, at least.

 

[F1Brits_90]

What a difference a week makes. Gasly 4th in Bahrain & 6 days later, out in Q1 outqualified by teammate

 

[Rutherford]

What a difference a week makes. Gasly 4th in Bahrain & 6 days later, out in Q1 outqualified by teammate

Happened to all of the drivers that performed well. Ericsson was beaten by Leclerc by 0.5 sec.. Magnussen was beaten by Grosjean and didn't even advance to Q3.

 

[Il_leone]

Brendan Hartley I remember him as Red Bull 3rd driver back in 2009 - supposedly he should have got the Toro Rosso seat when they kicked out Bourdais but he was not mature enough as he now admits and they gave it to Algarsuari who did as best as he could with the equipment he had

The appointment of Hartley is something Red Bull don't usually do and goes against their philosophy 1) Recall a driver who could not cut it at junior level 2) He is over 25 years old which goes against their image of young and rebellious and by that time he ought to have been driving for Red Bull

Hartley is in a fortunate position that there are not many good drivers coming through the Red Bull programme except possibly Ticktum with the removal WSR3.5 it limits the options to place more young drivers to assess

 

[F1Brits_90]

Interesting rumour from commentary. Appartantly weirlien is being looked at for as soon as montreal. But that shows how much red bull juniors well has dried are that they looking at mercedes juniors

 

[RasputinLives]

Sky F1 who get so most of their information from their Mercedes contacts are pushing Werhlein for the drive? I'm shocked.

I really hope not if I'm honest. I'm not really sure why Torro Rosso haven't been on the phone to Sebastian Buemi by now. He still has massive connections to Red Bull, has experience coming out of his ears and is a solid car developer.

 

[F1Brits_90]

Exactly but i wonder if buemi been asked but not interested in midfield..would only come back to main red bull team

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives F1Brits_90 Red Bull /Toro Rosso tend to field drivers younger than 25 years old so Hartleyis totally against their philosophy

Usually if you get kicked out of the Red Bull camp you tend to stay out as well so Hartley has been given a second life.

They won;t go back to Kyvat having beaten him up completely mentally with their management of him.

There is no one with outstanding potential they could see to promote from F2 now WSR3.5 is no more. Ticktum is probably at least 2 years away from getting a shot at F1

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

The Wehrlein rumour given the bad relationship between Red Bull and Mercedes this seems odd choice given Toro Rosso are helping Mercedes and not Red Bull in essence unless a swerve would be that they would be promised Mercedes engines moving forward equal spec to Mercedes. I just don;t see that happening, if anything Honda will put pressure on Toro Rosso to get a Japanese driver instead

 

[F1Brits_90]

I thought it was odd as well. As says looking at mercedes drivers. I just dont see many Japanese drivers that could. Bar nikui fukusumi but he is many 2yrs away from f1 as well

 

[Il_leone]

Someone is stirring something in the paddock but I don't see Wherlein driving for Toro Rosso unless he belatedly joins the Red Bull driver programme which at his stage is a bit late because it is suppose to be a graduation scheme from junior single seater