Toro Rosso made its final Formula 1 start at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 1 December 2019 before being rebranded as AlphaTauri for 2020.
The name had been on the grid since 2006, when Red Bull turned Minardi into its junior team. At first, Toro Rosso existed mainly as a development outlet: a place for Red Bull-backed drivers to learn, prove themselves or discover that the programme’s patience was not limitless. Over time, it became more than that.
From junior team to established constructor
The team’s history included Sebastian Vettel’s extraordinary 2008 win at Monza, later strong seasons with drivers such as Daniel Ricciardo, Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat, and a steady role in Red Bull’s wider driver system. By 2019, Toro Rosso was no longer just a training ground. It was a competent midfield operation with closer technical ties to Red Bull Racing.
The final season under the Toro Rosso name was a good one by its own standards. Gasly’s podium in Brazil and Kvyat’s podium in Germany gave the team two of its best moments since the Vettel win. That made the rebrand feel less like a burial and more like a costume change after a surprisingly lively final act.
A new name for the same Faenza roots
AlphaTauri brought a fashion-brand identity, but the Faenza base and the team’s Red Bull function remained. The Toro Rosso name ended after Abu Dhabi, yet its legacy continued through the same structure. In F1, even identity can be refuelled, repainted and sent back out for another stint.
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