The FIA has confirmed Toro Rosso will be renamed Alpha Tauri next year after publishing the official entry list for the 2020 grid.
Alpha Tauri is the name of a clothing brand owned by Toro Rosso’s parent company Red Bull and will be used to promote the brand from the 2020 season onwards. The Italian team was expected to announce the name change over the winter, but the release of the official FIA entry list on Saturday meant the news has been confirmed ahead of the official rebranding.
Toro Rosso, the Italian translation of « Red Bull, » has existed as a Red Bull junior team since 2006 when the Austrian drinks manufacturer took over the Minardi F1 team. It has been a finishing school for Red Bull’s drivers and has seen race winners Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen come through its ranks.
The team scored two podiums this year with Daniil Kvyat in Germany and Pierre Gasly in Brazil, but its best result remains its one and only victory at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix with Vettel.
Formula One is no stranger to teams changing names: Racing Point are the direct successors to Force India, who were previously Spyker, Midland and Jordan, while Alfa Romeo are the renamed Sauber. Champions Mercedes were previously Brawn, Honda, BAR and Tyrrell under previous ownerships.
The main Red Bull team started out as Stewart and then became Jaguar before their most recent change in 2005.
It would not be the first time a team has raced under the name of a fashion brand. Benetton, previously Toleman, won world championships with Schumacher in 1994 and 1995 before the German moved to Ferrari.
The team is now competing as Renault, after also racing as Lotus.
http://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/28194032/toro-rosso-renamed-alpha-tauri-2020-season
