In Formula One, team names change often. Usually the variables that decide these things are sponsorship deals, power unit changes, and strategic collaborations with stakeholders. So it should come as no surprise to find out that in 2019, it was announced that Scuderia Toro Rosso would become Scuderia AlphaTauri with provisional 2020 entry by the FIA.
For a little background, the sixteen-year-old team made its debut in 2006 as Red Bull’s junior team. With the AlphaTauri rebrand, however, it was motivated by something a little more unique than a traditional strategic partnership or buyout. The Red Bull subsidiary is now its sister team. And according to its official website, the goal is to promote a “stand-alone fashion brand founded out of Red Bull that offers innovative fashion technologies integrated with high-quality and uniquely designed styles.”
Clearly, Red Bull felt that its success in Formula One was making the progress needed to embark on such an ambitious path.
Through consistent drives by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, to a consistently improving Pierre Gasly driving for AlphaTauri, all the way to becoming a Formula One engine supplier (via Honda), the Red Bull brand has made major strides recently in terms of replacing both Mercedes and Ferrari as top dog.
Changing a team name to reflect a new partnership is one thing, but changing your team’s name to boost a fashion line? This is probably seen as a violation of F1 purity by old school petrol heads. But when you see how many social media accounts there are dedicated to Formula One fashion, it’s pretty apparent that Red Bull is effectively creating an opportunity that more closely connects fans to drivers. Considering Formula One personalities such as Will Buxton are already donning the AlphaTauri threads on the grid and dedicating multiple social media posts to the brand, I think it’s safe to say that Red Bull’s investment gamble is already turning heads.
Before AlphaTauri made its debut, Toro Rosso was known to newer F1 fans as the team that Gasly was demoted to from Red Bull. In a dramatic Netflix montage, you could see them scraping Gasly’s name from the garage mid-season after being replaced by Alex Albon. Gasly made his debut drive with Toro Rosso in the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix, and won his first race in Formula One at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix. While that was Gasly’s only win in Formula One so far, he’s been winning on social media. In his personal shop, he sells t-shirts that say “Liked by Pierre Gasly,” because of his randomly liking people’s posts. He also has items and photos with ‘AlphaTauri Fashion’ placed prominently throughout his merchandise site. And considering Gasly has a rating of 84 on EA Sports’ latest Formula One video game, he’s a popular driver, so it’s great marketing for the AlphaTauri brand.
Likewise, Gasly’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda’s popularity has been rising since joining Formula One in 2021 with AlphaTauri. He has a witty personality and drives with an intensity that you’d expect from such a young driver, but that youthful spark makes him a perfect ambassador for the sport and brand itself.
According to the AlphaTauri’s “Brand Heritage” story, the concept came to be because its consumers were asking for clothing that “fit their lifestyle” and provided “functionality and innovation without sacrificing style.” Just as Red Bull created an entirely new lifestyle dimension thought its energy drink, it felt it had the momentum to innovate once again, but through fashion.
As for the name itself, Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet and typically denotes someone who is dominant. Tauri is a reference to a Taurus, which is a bull in zodiac symbology. This is how the brand honors and pays tribute to the Red Bull Heritage.
In conjunction with premium leathers, cashmere, and Merino wool, AlphaTauri has its own trademark registered fabric called TAUROBRAN®. This is a “3-layer technology where the membrane is bonded with the outer and inner layer of the clothing.” The technology makes the fabric waterproof, yet incredibly versatile and “flexible” for the wearer’s lifestyle. AlphaTauri offers both men’s and women’s apparel, so I wonder if Red Bull has any plans on getting into a sponsorship with the W Series. Discussing W Series racing requires its own blog post, however, it’s the premiere women’s racing championship in the world, and it’s growing in popularity. With that said, I think that as races are added in support of the Formula One World Championship, and as more Formula One drivers start to talk about W Series, it would be a beneficial partnership or sponsorship in the future for Red Bull.
Currently, the W Series’ only apparel sponsorship is Puma, which also sponsors Formula One teams and drivers.
While the 2022 look book features more basic and safe pieces, the online store has some really smart and lux-looking items. I have yet to see the clothes in person, however, I’ve heard from several people that the fabrics make these pieces staples in any closet, especially as they support a variety of different lifestyles. From trench coats and jackets, to blazers, pants, and dresses, AlphaTauri designers put a lot of thought into the collection, so as someone who appreciates fashion, know this name change was intentional and carefully thought out.
It’s anyone’s guess as to whether AlphaTauri will have success as Red Bull’s sister team, or if it will have performance benefits from Red Bull’s new partnership with Porsche (although it’s rumored that AlphaTauri will have Porsche engines by 2026). But with no details overlooked on the fashion side, it’s safe to say this brand has a place in lifestyle apparel. Will we ever see a fashion show at New York Fashion Week? Perhaps not. However, Formula One is become its own runway with tremendous influence in lifestyle and fashion, and I don’t see that momentum slowing anytime soon.
