Formula 1 teams have been asked to approve a new name for Toro Rosso from the 2020 season.
The Red Bull sister team has requested to change its name to Alpha Tauri from next year. Alpha Tauri is the name of a fashion brand run by Red Bull.RaceFans understands the sport’s commercial rights holder has already given permission for the change. In order for the change to go ahead it now requires the approval of the F1 Commission.
This has been requested via an ‘e-vote’. Teams have until Thursday next week to indicate their approval or otherwise.
The proposal would see Toro Rosso’s chassis name change from ‘Scuderia Toro Rosso (STR14)’ to ‘Scuderia Alpha Tauri’, and its team name change from ‘Red Bull Toro Rosso’ to ‘Scuderia Alpha Tauri Honda’.
Toro Rosso has run under its current name, the Italian translation of ‘Red Bull’, since it entered F1 in 2006 when Red Bull took over the former Minardi team.
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kartguy07 (@kartguy07)
28th September 2019, 8:01
We already have Alfas. It’s gonna get confusing if people start calling Toro Rosso Alphas. 😃
ChefWayner
28th September 2019, 8:08
The last thing we need is a hunch or Tauris running around… *British political joke*
Phylyp (@phylyp)
28th September 2019, 8:50
Kimi in 2020: “Get that Toro Rosso out of the way, or whatever the f it’s called”
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
28th September 2019, 8:54
@kartguy07 Thanks. I had overlooked the obvious phonetic similarity between the contraction of AlphaTauri’s name (with no space between “Alpha” and “Tauri”) with the contraction of Alfa Romeo’s. I hope the race commentators can come to an obvious solution that’s agreeable to Red Bull’s marketing people.
GongTong (@gongtong)
28th September 2019, 15:35
@drycrust I’d imagine their marketing department might not fancy “the Tauris” as a nickname. The UK is a large market and that name might have some negative connotations right now…
Stephen Crowsen (@drycrust)
28th September 2019, 20:50
@gongtong Ha ha! Yes, very good. Gosh, for once Red Bull’s marketing people have messed up a bit.
skydiverian (@skydiverian)
28th September 2019, 22:46
I won’t be surprised if Alfa Romeo veto the proposal for this reason – causing confusion for the casual fan won’t help them.
ColdFly (@)
28th September 2019, 8:10
I was expecting ‘Punto Da Corsa’ rather than ‘Alphatauri’.
But the real question of course is if Kvyat will be allowed to change his helmet to whatever new name they come up with ;)
steveetienne
28th September 2019, 10:50
Why not Alpha cen-Tauri?
The Last Pope (@the-last-pope)
28th September 2019, 12:17
Because a centaur is half man half horse, not a bull.
Everyone calls the Alpha Tauri star by its name, Aldebaran. Maybe Redbull should have used that instead. Why would Alfa Romeo accept this name change? I wouldn’t if I was them.
Bart
28th September 2019, 18:41
Alpha Centauri is a 3 star system. Maybe they were lacking stars?
coefficient
28th September 2019, 8:26
So all the merch sold this year to fans will become obsolete in a stroke. Excrement!
Phylyp (@phylyp)
28th September 2019, 8:33
Big brain time to drum up sales ;)
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
28th September 2019, 8:40
Horrible
stephen
28th September 2019, 17:13
Indeed
Iosif (@afonic)
28th September 2019, 9:27
Wow this is a terrible name for an F1 team, even more so for a fashion brand!
bukester (@bukester)
28th September 2019, 9:32
I agree. A terrible name and logo
Phylyp (@phylyp)
28th September 2019, 9:52
@bukester – that made me go look for the logo, and TBH, I don’t mind the logo – there’s an A and a T (which blend into an infinity symbol – infinite potential and all that jazz), and they’ve snuck a bull in there as well. Can’t complain, and since it works well in monochrome, it will work with any livery. Maybe they’ll actually go for a black-and-white car?
But the prices on that site. Not for my paycheque :)
koddamn (@gufdamm)
28th September 2019, 15:00
The prices don’t suit the hideous name, nor logo.
DAllein (@)
28th September 2019, 10:48
Alpha Bull?… First Bull?
They plan to beat RBR?
With fashion?…
Annette
28th September 2019, 11:36
Oh that’s not going confuse Crofty at all 😁
Mjb
29th September 2019, 10:00
Haha my thoughts exactly!
Stephen Higgins
28th September 2019, 11:47
Benetton anyone ??
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
28th September 2019, 12:04
Team “Honda Rich Stroll Alpha Centauri Bull Wings in Hot Max Sauce” will win them all!
koddamn (@gufdamm)
28th September 2019, 15:00
…Hot Max Sauce….
Adam (@rocketpanda)
28th September 2019, 12:30
I rather like Alpha Tauri, though admittedly it doesn’t have quite the ring to it that Toro Rosso did. I wonder with this change it will change the way the teams are run? Will it remain a junior squad like Toro Rosso has always been, or will ‘Alpha Tauri’ be more independent?
Either way I honestly was going to be getting a Toro Rosso shirt as I like the colours and am fond of the team but I guess I won’t now will I!
Raymond
28th September 2019, 13:42
AND THE ALFA TRIES TO BRAKE AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE ALPHA
budchekov (@budchekov)
28th September 2019, 15:42
Mercedes should be called Tommy Hilfiger Racing……
nase
28th September 2019, 15:48
It’s working: I had never heard that name before. This greatly reduces my risk of accidentally giving them money. :-)
Now, if Alfa Romeo, for obvious reasons, tell them to go love themselves, what other tacky name could they choose? Proxima Tauri?
Mog
28th September 2019, 22:56
Beta Tauri
Nimba (@nimba)
29th September 2019, 21:50
Apt
Ben (@1nkling)
28th September 2019, 15:52
Alpha Tauri… What, like Boris?
Thecollaroyboys (@thecollaroyboys)
28th September 2019, 22:56
Nice. Quote of the day for sure.
Jere (@jerejj)
28th September 2019, 16:34
I didn’t see this coming even less so than the Mclaren-Mercedes reunion.
erikje
28th September 2019, 19:52
was already a rumour for some weeks now.
The recent political correct outburst by Seidl about Renault pointed the direction.
Djangles LeVaughn (@royal-spark)
28th September 2019, 17:13
Having two Lotus teams was confusing enough. So please, teams that aren’t Red Bull (or Red Bull affiliated), veto this!
Mark in Florida
28th September 2019, 20:48
Please, will the other teams vote this crap down! I hope that Alfa Romeo and Ferrari kill it. Terrible marketing idea to start with.
Thecollaroyboys (@thecollaroyboys)
28th September 2019, 23:01
I spend a bit of time in Europe and Asia and more than a bit of time around the shops. And the Mrs used to work on a high end fashion/lifestyle mag. Neither of us have ever heard of Alpha Tauri. So the strategy of getting the name out there is sound but the scope for confusion is also huge.
Nunof
29th September 2019, 12:11
And people still consider RB & Co. racing teams. Just a glorified rich energy… ¯\_ (ツ) _/¯
Brian Adkins
5th October 2019, 0:49
60 euros ($65 us) for a T shirt ! … well they may have enough money to support a team