Racing Bulls

Racing Bulls has two Formula 1 victories to its name, both achieved at Monza, albeit under different names. The Italian team based in Faenza has undergone several changes of identity since coming under Red Bull ownership in 2005. Fans have known it as Toro Rosso, AlphaTauri and RB, with the Racing Bulls name adopted for the 2025 season. Its greatest achievements remain the victories secured by Sebastian Vettel and Pierre Gasly, but it has also played an important role in developing future world champions, including Max Verstappen. The team finished the 2025 season sixth in the Constructors' Championship, with rookie Isack Hadjar delivering its best result.

From Minardi to Toro Rosso: The origins of Racing Bulls

The history of Racing Bulls dates back to 1985, when Italian businessman Giancarlo Minardi brought his own team into Formula 1. Based in Faenza, Minardi was one of the smallest teams in the championship over the following two decades. Despite its limited budget, it established a lasting presence on the grid and gave several young drivers their opportunity.

A major change came at the end of the 2005 season, when Austrian company Red Bull bought the team from its then owner, Paul Stoddart. The company led by Dietrich Mateschitz already owned Red Bull Racing and decided to establish a second team, primarily to develop young drivers.

From the 2006 season, Minardi therefore continued as Scuderia Toro Rosso, Italian for Red Bull. Vitantonio Liuzzi and Scott Speed formed the driver line-up, with Franz Tost appointed to lead the team.

Liuzzi scored Toro Rosso's first point at the 2006 United States Grand Prix. The team finished ninth in the Constructors' Championship in its debut season and gradually began developing its collaboration with sister outfit Red Bull Racing.

Another prominent figure in those early years was former Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger, who acquired a 50 per cent stake in the team in 2006. His experience helped build an outfit intended to combine the development of young talent with the ambition of scoring points regularly.

Sebastian Vettel and Toro Rosso's historic Monza victory

The first major success came in the 2008 season. Toro Rosso's drivers were Sébastien Bourdais and Sebastian Vettel, who had joined the team during the previous campaign.

The German gradually began delivering results that exceeded expectations for the smaller outfit. The highlight came at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, where he took pole position in wet conditions before going on to win the race.

At the age of 21, Vettel became the youngest grand prix winner in Formula 1 history at the time. Toro Rosso also secured its first victory before sister team Red Bull Racing, which did not take its maiden win until the following season.

Monza was not the team's only strong result. Vettel scored points regularly during the second half of the season and helped Toro Rosso to sixth in the Constructors' Championship. The team even finished ahead of Red Bull Racing, which remains one of the most notable achievements in its history.

Vettel moved to the senior Red Bull team at the end of the season and later won four consecutive world titles with the outfit. Toro Rosso had thus demonstrated its importance in preparing drivers for seats at the championship's most successful teams.

Toro Rosso as a springboard for Max Verstappen and other drivers

After Vettel's departure, Toro Rosso returned to the midfield and the rear of the grid. In the years that followed, however, it continued developing young drivers who would later earn opportunities with bigger teams.

Its drivers included Daniel Ricciardo, Jean-Éric Vergne, Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz. The arrival of Max Verstappen attracted particular attention, as he made his Formula 1 debut in 2015 at the age of 17.

The Dutchman partnered Sainz and was already producing performances in his first season that confirmed his exceptional talent. His best results came in Hungary and the United States, where he finished fourth.

After the opening four races of the 2016 season, Verstappen was promoted to Red Bull Racing. He won the Spanish Grand Prix on his very first appearance for his new team, becoming the youngest winner in Formula 1 history.

Toro Rosso had once again fulfilled its role as a development team, preparing a talented driver to compete at the highest level. Verstappen later won four world titles with Red Bull between 2021 and 2024.

A significant technical change came with the switch to Honda power units in 2018. Toro Rosso became the first team in the Red Bull group to work with the Japanese manufacturer, helping pave the way for Honda's subsequent partnership with Red Bull Racing.

The team returned to the podium in 2019. Daniil Kvyat finished third in the rain-affected German Grand Prix, while Pierre Gasly took second at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Toro Rosso scored 85 points that year and finished sixth in the Constructors' Championship. Eleven years on, it had matched its best finish from the 2008 season.

AlphaTauri and the team's second victory at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix

From the 2020 season, the team competed as Scuderia AlphaTauri. Red Bull wanted to raise the profile of its fashion brand, while the team retained its technical base in Faenza and its role within the driver programme.

AlphaTauri entered its new era with Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat as its drivers. The Frenchman had returned to the team during the previous season after an unsuccessful spell at Red Bull Racing.

Its greatest success came on 6 September 2020 at the Italian Grand Prix. Gasly benefited from an unexpected turn of events, a well-timed pit stop and a penalty for Lewis Hamilton. He took the lead after the restart and resisted pressure from McLaren's Carlos Sainz in the closing stages.

AlphaTauri thus secured the team's second victory under Red Bull ownership, once again at Monza. It was Gasly's maiden Formula 1 win and the first for a French driver since 1996.

The success was also particularly significant for Franz Tost, who had led the team since its inception as Toro Rosso in 2006.

AlphaTauri continued to perform strongly in the 2021 season. Gasly claimed another podium at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and scored points regularly. His team-mate was rookie Yuki Tsunoda, who finished fourth at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The team scored 142 points and ended the season sixth in the Constructors' Championship.

From AlphaTauri to Racing Bulls: Changes of name and leadership

After successful campaigns in 2020 and 2021, performance declined. AlphaTauri finished ninth in the 2022 Constructors' Championship, and the following season brought no significant improvement.

The 2023 season was its last under the AlphaTauri name. The team fielded several drivers during the campaign. Nyck de Vries was replaced by Daniel Ricciardo, who then had to miss five grands prix after injuring his hand. That gave Liam Lawson an opportunity, and he impressed with competitive performances in his first Formula 1 appearances.

Franz Tost stepped down as team principal at the end of the season. The Austrian had led the outfit for 18 consecutive seasons and overseen both its victories. He also played a significant part in developing drivers such as Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo and Pierre Gasly.

Laurent Mekies, who had previously worked at Ferrari, took over as team principal in 2024. Peter Bayer, a former senior official at motorsport's governing body, the FIA, served as chief executive.

The reorganisation also included another name change. AlphaTauri was renamed Visa Cash App RB F1 Team for the 2024 season. The new identity was intended to emphasise its close ties with the Red Bull group while attracting major commercial partners.

Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo drove for the team at the start of the season. However, the Australian was replaced by Liam Lawson ahead of the final six grands prix.

RB ended the campaign eighth in the Constructors' Championship with 46 points. Most were scored by Tsunoda, who was among the team's most consistent drivers.

Another change of identity followed ahead of the 2025 season. The team officially adopted the name Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team, with Racing Bulls becoming the name most commonly used in day-to-day communications.

The team also continued to expand its technical facilities. Alongside its traditional base in Faenza, Italy, it established new facilities in Milton Keynes, Britain, where sister team Red Bull Racing is also based.

Racing Bulls in 2025: Hadjar's podium and the best result in four years

Racing Bulls entered the 2025 season with the VCARB 02 and a driver line-up of Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar. The French rookie arrived in Formula 1 after a successful junior career, having finished runner-up in the 2024 Formula 2 Championship.

The start of the season brought unexpected changes, however. After two grands prix, Red Bull's management decided to swap drivers between its teams. Tsunoda was given his opportunity at Red Bull Racing, while Liam Lawson returned to Racing Bulls.

Despite a disappointing debut in Australia, where he crashed on the formation lap, Hadjar gradually began to demonstrate his talent. He scored his first points at the Japanese Grand Prix and added further strong results in Monaco and Spain.

The biggest success came at the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix, where Isack Hadjar finished third. The Frenchman started fourth and, after a consistent performance, benefited from the retirement of McLaren's Lando Norris. He secured his first Formula 1 podium and gave Racing Bulls its first podium finish under its current name.

Liam Lawson also delivered a significant result. He qualified third for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and went on to finish fifth in the race. It was the best result of his Formula 1 career to date.

Racing Bulls also scored points with both cars in Monaco and Brazil. Regular top-10 finishes helped the team build an advantage over its midfield rivals.

The season also featured another significant personnel change. In July 2025, Laurent Mekies left for Red Bull Racing, where he replaced Christian Horner as team principal. Alan Permane became the new Racing Bulls team principal, the experienced British engineer having previously worked at Benetton, Renault and Alpine before taking a senior role at Racing Bulls.

Permane continued working with chief executive Peter Bayer, and the team maintained consistent performance after the leadership change.

Racing Bulls finished the 2025 season sixth in the Constructors' Championship with 92 points. It improved by two positions compared with the previous year and doubled its points tally.

Isack Hadjar was its most successful driver, scoring 51 points. Liam Lawson added 38, while the remaining three were scored by Yuki Tsunoda in the Chinese Grand Prix sprint before his move to Red Bull Racing.

Sixth place represented the team's best championship finish since 2021 and matched its best-ever result in the constructors' standings.

Racing Bulls therefore ended the 2025 season with two victories and six podium finishes across the team's combined history as Toro Rosso, AlphaTauri, RB and Racing Bulls. Although the team has yet to win a championship title, its importance lies primarily in developing driving talent and its ability to challenge much stronger rivals on occasion.

From Sebastian Vettel's first triumph in 2008, through Pierre Gasly's victory to Isack Hadjar's podium, the Faenza team remains an important part of Red Bull's racing programme.