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In this series in going through the current F1 grid and giving you the history behind each team. This week we are starting with the Alpha Tauri team.
After rebranding for the current 2020 season from Torro Rosso to Alpha Tauri the team has a whole new identity and brand. The team we now know as Alpha Tauri was originally formed as a formula 2 team back in 1979.
Minardi F2 (1980-1984)
The team we currently know as Alpha Tauri was formed as Minardi in 1979, however this was not in formula 1, they began in formula 2 like many privateer teams of years gone by. They enjoyed moderate success in formula 2 with the teams most notable results being a win by Michele Alberto at Misano. They used a BMW powered chassis produced by FLY studio, the GM75. They used this chassis base for their duration in F2, and after leaving the championship the design was modified and used by other teams for the first few years of the new Formula 3000 championship.
Minardi F1 (1985-1993)
The team made the jump up to F1 in 1985 producing the M184, again designed by Fly,, running a single car in their first season. The team expanded to a two car entry for 86, however it would take until the 1988 US GP for the team to score their first points, a 5th place by Pierluigi Martini. The team would be moderately successful in the midfield in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The team would take on Ferrari customer engines from 1991, making the switch from cosworths. The 1991 season would mark the teams highest ever finish in the constructors of 7th place.
Minardi (1994-2000)
The team began to really struggle in the early 1990s, and the teams decline can be traced back to the 1994 season. Due to financial struggles the team merged with the Scuderia Italia team for the 1994 season, rebranding as Minardi Scuderia Italia. However this rebrand only lasted two seasons before the team started to switch title sponsors more regularly.
European Minardi (2001-2005)
The team was purchased by Australian business man Paul Stoddart weeks before collapse in 2001, merging it with his Formula 3000 team European racing. The results for the team however did not improve and the team kept slipping further and further down the grid. During this period the team was seen as the popular underdog and gave debuts to drivers such as Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber.
Scuderia Torro Rosso (2006-2019)
Stoddard had put the tean up for sale in late 2005, having over 40 approaches to purchase the team he ultimately chose the bid from Red Bull. The team would rebrand as Scuderia Torro Rosso for 2006, becoming the Red Bull junior team. Stoddard however would continue to help the team and its local town of Faenza in Italy by forcing Red Bull to continue the teams main base of operations in the small town.
The team would use Cosworth engines in its first season before making the switch to Ferrari engine until 2013. The team claimed their first victory in 2008 with Sebastian Vettel at their home grand prix at Monza. The team would switch between Renault and Ferrari engines during the first few years of the V6 turbo hybrid era, before making the switch to Honda engines for the 2018 season.
Scuderia Alpha Tauri (2020-Present)
The team will partake in their first race as the newly rebranded Alpha Tauri team whenever/if the 2020 season gets underway. Redbull decided to switch the teams name to promote their new clothing brand, giving the teams classic red and navy livery a switch the white and navy for the 2020 season.
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