Team information

Chassis STR3

Engine Ferrari 056H

Team principal(s) Franz Tost

Technical director Giorgio Ascanelli

Designer(s) Adrian Newey

Race drivers 14. Sébastien Bourdais, 15. Sebastian Vettel

Test drivers Brendon Hartley

Base Faenza, Italy

Website http://www.redbullf1.com/

History

Scuderia Toro Rosso is a 50/50 partnership between the energy drink company Red Bull and former F1 driver Gerhard Berger. It made its racing debut in the 2006 Formula One season, after Paul Stoddart sold his remaining interest in the Minardi team at the end of 2005. Scuderia Toro Rosso is the sister team of Red Bull Racing, with the aim of developing the skills of promising drivers for the senior team.

The roots of Scuderia Toro Rosso can be traced back to their predecessor, Minardi. Minardi had competed in Formula One from 1985 to 2005. Despite having a large fan base, they had been one of the least competitive teams in the sport, due to a relatively restricted budget. Owner Paul Stoddart claimed to have had 41 approaches to buy the team, but preferred to sell it to someone who could 'take it further' than he could and who would maintain it in its traditional base in Italy. Included in the terms of the deal with Red Bull was the clause that the team must keep its headquarters in Faenza, Italy until at least the 2007 season.

Whilst Red Bull have abandoned the Minardi name in line with their own sponsorship and marketing plans, the use of the Italian language in the name is intended to hint at the team's Italian heritage. Red Bull changed the name of the team immediately after taking control of the team on 1 November 2005. It was initially reported as 'Squadra Toro Rosso' but then changed because 'squadra' in Italian depicts a 'squad' like a football team, to 'Scuderia Toro Rosso'. Many Minardi fans were upset by this move, and over 15,000 signed an online petition to keep the Minardi name.

For the 2007 and 2008 seasons, Toro Rosso will be using Ferrari V8 engines, taking over the contract that their senior team broke from at the end of 2006. The team principal is Franz Tost, formerly of BMW's motorsport division. Its latest car, the STR2 is nearly identical to the Red Bull RB3, as both were designed by Adrian Newey.

2008 prospects

The team's set 2008 driver lineup is Sebastian Vettel and Sebastian Bourdais, the four-time winner of the Champcar World Series.

With the 2008 Concorde Agreement outlawing customer cars from 2010 onwards, Dietrich Mateschitz has put the Toro Rosso team up for sale. He is aiming to secure a buyer by the end of 2009, with the team continuing in its present guise until then. He has said that this won't happen in 2008.

The Honors List

Debut 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix

Races competed 38

Constructors' Championships 0

Drivers' Championships 0

Race victories 0

Pole positions 0

Fastest laps 0

2007 position 7th (8 points)