| Base | Faenza, Italy |
| Founded | 1985 (as Minardi, Red Bull ownership 2006) |
| Team Principal | Laurent Mekies |
| Power Unit | Red Bull (Honda technology) |
| Chassis | Racing Bulls VCARB 02 |
| 2026 Drivers | Liam Lawson (#30), Arvid Lindblad (#22) |
Team Principal - Laurent Mekies
Laurent Mekies is a French motorsport engineer and executive who took over as Racing Bulls team principal in 2024. Born in 1977, Mekies studied engineering in France before beginning a career that took him through the FIA's safety department - where he played a key role in introducing the Halo cockpit protection device - and then to Ferrari, where he served as sporting director and later racing director. His time at Ferrari gave him deep experience in both the technical and political aspects of F1 management. Mekies joined what was then AlphaTauri in mid-2023 as team principal, bringing a structured and professional approach to a team that had often been viewed merely as a development squad for Red Bull's junior program. Under his leadership, the team has embraced a more independent identity while maintaining its crucial role in developing young drivers. Mekies is respected for his calm demeanor, safety expertise, and collaborative management style. His challenge is to balance the team's role as a junior outfit with genuine competitive ambitions.
2026 Season
Career Stats
Team History
The Racing Bulls' origins trace back to one of the most beloved underdog stories in Formula 1 - the Minardi team. Founded by Giancarlo Minardi in 1985, the small Italian outfit based in Faenza became famous for giving young drivers their first chance in F1, despite having minimal resources compared to the big teams. The likes of Fernando Alonso, Mark Webber, and Jarno Trulli all made their F1 debuts with Minardi. The team never won a race or scored a podium, but its passion and determination earned it a devoted following among F1 fans who appreciated the romance of a genuine privateering team.
Red Bull purchased Minardi at the end of 2005 and rebranded it as Scuderia Toro Rosso (Italian for "Team Red Bull") for 2006. The team's primary purpose was to serve as a development squad for Red Bull's junior driver program, providing young talent with F1 experience before potential promotion to the senior Red Bull Racing team. The most famous graduate of this system is Sebastian Vettel, who sensationally won the 2008 Italian Grand Prix at Monza in wet conditions - the team's first ever victory and one of the most popular wins in recent F1 history.
The team was rebranded as AlphaTauri in 2020, named after Red Bull's fashion brand, and then underwent another name change to Visa Cash App Racing Bulls in 2024. Throughout these identity shifts, the Faenza-based team has maintained its core mission: developing future champions while competing with limited resources. Pierre Gasly won the team's second ever race at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, another shock result at Monza. The team has served as a crucial stepping stone for drivers including Daniel Ricciardo, Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, and now Liam Lawson.
For 2026, Racing Bulls fields an exciting young lineup of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad. Lawson, the New Zealander who impressed during substitute appearances, has earned a full-time seat, while Lindblad is one of the most highly-rated junior talents in the Red Bull program. The team runs the Red Bull Powertrains engine with Honda technology, sharing the same challenges as the senior team. With 14 points and seventh in the constructors' standings, Racing Bulls is performing solidly in the early part of the season. The team continues to play a vital role in the Red Bull ecosystem while fighting for its own results on track.
Current Drivers
Interesting Facts
- The team has operated under five different names - Minardi, Toro Rosso, AlphaTauri, and now Racing Bulls - but has been based in Faenza, Italy, since Minardi's founding in 1985.
- Sebastian Vettel's 2008 Italian Grand Prix victory for Toro Rosso made him the youngest race winner in F1 history at the time, aged 21 years and 73 days.
- More than a dozen drivers have graduated from this team to Red Bull Racing, including four world champions (Vettel and Verstappen from Toro Rosso, with Ricciardo and Sainz winning titles elsewhere).
- The team's two race wins have both come at the Italian Grand Prix at Monza - Vettel in 2008 and Gasly in 2020.