Goodbye Toro Rosso, welcome Alpha Tauri: F1 commission said “Yes”.
After Russian GP, F1 Commission gave its permission to Red Bull to change its junior team’s name to “Alpha Tauri” in 2020
It was in the air for a while. In the first days of September, Reb Bull let people know that they had to get used to call its B-team Toro Rosso “Alpha Tauri” from next season and it just became official after the Russian GP when F1 Commission reunited and voted positively.
The Faenza-based team is in the circus from 2006, when Red Bull direction understood the importance to grow its own drivers to promote them in their racing team, as Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari already did.
Their counselor, Helmut Marko, created the value of Toro Rosso as a “Jolly”: he frequently switches drivers from Toro Rosso to Red Bull and back, as he did with Daniil Kvyat, Max Verstappen, Alexander Albon and gave the major Formula true champions, the same Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo.
After 15 years, the direction decided to change the name “Toro Rosso”, a literal translation in Italian of the name “Red Bull” into “Alpha Tauri” to promote Red Bull’s new fashion brand.
Formula 1 is quite used to name changes, even if usually there are reasons of sponsors and new bosses behind it.
Force India changed into Racing Point after Lawrence Stroll bought it.
The “Alpha” is not new either in these name renovations: Sauber changed into “Alfa Sauber” before turning definitively into its actual name Alfa Romeo even if there is still a strong Swiss component into it.
The same Toro Rosso had changed a couple of denominations during its 15 years in the circus. It was Minardi, purchased by Red Bull and named Scuderia Toro Rosso before turning into just Toro Rosso.
🏎 La @ToroRosso sarà il terzo team
— Sky Sport F1 (@SkySportF1) October 17, 2019
🆕 a cambiare nome in F1
I precedenti ➡ https://t.co/8qKHk7y7UY #SkyMotori #F1 #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/fG1KobvBdv
A name change is not a big deal, it is quite similar after all, even if it destroys the elegant parallel of being the same name of A team and B team just translated and it is even more particular because there is not a boss change, it just gives more visibility to Red Bull’s clothing brand.
It is named after a giant red star in the Taurus’ constellation and it has a great energy. Could it be helpful to reach the top as Red Bull already “gives you wings”?
