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.
 
Well alpha is "A" or first in Greek and Tauri are an ancient Greek civilisation, but probably it's the designer label for Red Bulls toe dipping in the clothing and all things overpriced market.
 
They should change their name to something ironic like "best team on the grid"

"..... And there goes Alex Albon in the best team on the grid. The best team on the grid have scored 10 points so far this season"
 
interesting listening to vergne on beyond the grid. that he was 1st choice according to marko to replace Vettel if he ever left. but he says they were adamant vettel wouldn't leave to join Ferrari. so dumped JEV for Verstappen. but as he says if they had just said Verstappen will be driving next season but never specified who then. Vergne made hace got the top drive. but apparently marko didnt want the embarrassment for dumping him in July & then promoting him in October
 
but also that made me think, i dont mean this come has harsh as it will. because i like the guy, im impressed by how he bounced back. & has improved himself. deserves a seat on the grid.

but what is the point of gasly at AlphaTauri. because the team itself is for young talent coming through the academy to see if sink or swim after impressing in F2. but Gasly fits none of the criteria as next season he will be 27 yr old & in his 7th season of F1 & driving in a dead end seat, highly doubtful will ever drive for the main team. so he is just taking up a seat that could be used by a Liam Lawson for example
 
I agree that Pierre Gasly is wasted at Alpha Tauri, but probably think he deserves a driver at a much better team. I hope he gets a chance at Alpine as he, to me at least, look as good as Estaban Ocon. I think it would be a good pairing at Alpine and they would have an all French driver line up.
 
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