LONDON, Jan 24 — The Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri Formula One team announced a name change on Wednesday to Visa Cash App RB and said it would launch the new livery at an event in Las Vegas on February 8.
Visa also announced its first major global sports sponsorship in more than 15 years with a multi-year agreement to partner the newly-named team and dominant world champions Red Bull Racing.
The team’s drivers are Australian Daniel Ricciardo and Japanese Yuki Tsunoda.
Italy-based AlphaTauri were previously Scuderia Toro Rosso, and before that Minardi, and the latest name change is likely to give commentators a headache with plenty of debate already on how it might be abbreviated.
The official www.Formula1.com website said the team will be known as RB, although Red Bull Racing’s cars have traditionally taken the RB prefix with last year’s designated the RB19.
“It’s fantastic to reveal the new identity and to welcome new partners as we embark on the next phase of the team’s Formula One story,” said Visa Cash App RB’s chief executive Peter Bayer.
“Faenza is entering a new era of racing, staying true to our roots as a hothouse for talent but now with an even greater focus on competing for the biggest prizes in F1.”
Visa will also sponsor the team’s all-female F1 Academy entry.
AlphaTauri finished eighth out of 10 teams last season. The first race of 2024 is in Bahrain on March 2. — Reuters
