The Sauber name will disappear from its Formula 1 team in 2019 in favour of an entry under the Alfa Romeo Racing banner. Motorsport Week takes a look at the other teams to have undergone identity changes throughout their history in the championship.
Mercedes (Tyrrell)
Reigning World Champions Mercedes initially competed in Formula 1 in the 1950s but its current operation is effectively a different entity – and it traces its roots back to Ken Tyrrell’s eponymous squad. But even Tyrrell started competing in association with Matra, and March , before it fully established itself as a constructor in late 1970, winning the 1971 double with Sir Jackie Stewart. It proved to be its sole Constructors’ title success and a gradual decline set in, with its final win coming in 1983, spending most of the 1990s scrapping at the back. Tyrrell sold its entry to British American Tobacco, with the rebrand as BAR coming for 1999, and Honda eventually took full control for 2006. The Japanese marque withdrew after 2008, plunging the operation into doubt, but it was rescued by Ross Brawn, with Jenson Button famously taking the 2009 crown. Mercedes acquired the Brackley-based outfit for 2010 and it emerged as F1’s dominant force in the hybrid era. Imagine saying in 1998 that a team with five DNQs to its name that year would win 12 titles within the next two decades…
Red Bull (Stewart)
Red Bull began life as Paul Stewart Racing in the late 1980s and the junior team – run by Sir Jackie’s son Paul – emerged as one of the most successful below Formula 1. With backing from major manufacturer Ford, Stewart stepped up to the championship in 1997, its SF01 bedecked in white and featuring a tartan strip as a nod to its Scottish origins. Rubens Barrichello took a podium in Monaco but chronic unreliability wrecked its prospects elsewhere, while 1998 was little better. Its 1999 SF3 was a more-rounded package and, after a couple of podiums, the team enjoyed its day in the sun – or should that be rain – at the Nurburgring, with Johnny Herbert leading a 1-3 at a crazy attrition-filled race, cementing fourth in the standings for the minnows. Ford fully acquired the team for 2000 and rebranded it as Jaguar, but the American corporation’s five-year control yielded little progress and it pulled the plug after 2004, with energy drinks giant Red Bull stepping in. Red Bull maintained Jaguar’s midfield presence before leaping forwards in 2009, precipitating a rise that resulted in four straight Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles with Sebastian Vettel.
Renault (Toleman)
As with several teams Toleman began in junior motorsport and its early foray into Formula 1 was problematic. The team was absent from the first three 1981 events and the dreadful Hart-powered TG181 meant it did not qualify for the next nine races. It thrived with Ayrton Senna in 1984 but a tyre contractual dispute meant it only appeared in 1985 once Spirit collapsed, and for the most part with just a single entry. The Benetton clothing empire took over and stabilised the team, with Gerhard Berger taking its first win in 1986, before Michael Schumacher spearheaded it to successive titles in the mid-1990s. Renault purchased Benetton and a full rebrand took place for 2002, with Fernando Alonso securing championships across 2005/06, though the manufacturer withdrew after 2010, selling a majority stake to Genii Capital. After a year as Lotus Renault it became Lotus in 2012, winning races with the returning Kimi Raikkonen, but worsening finances brought the team to near-collapse at the end of 2015. Renault, miffed at the lack of credit it earned as Red Bull’s title-winning partner, sought a fully-fledged F1 comeback and re-purchased the Enstone-based team for 2016. From Toleman, to Benetton, to Renault, to Lotus, and back to Renault again…
Racing Point (Jordan)
And now to the team whose current identity remains shrouded in a little mystery. And, of course, is legally not the same entity as the team that competed through until the 2018 Hungarian Grand Prix. But for the sake of easy argument – and for the sake of this feature – we’ll consider it one team, for it is based out of the same factory, kept the same employees and used the same cars. Eddie Jordan’s team stepped up to Formula 1 for 1991 and sometimes operated on a wing and a prayer, but its maiden campaign remains iconic for its use of the 191 – often regarded as one of F1’s prettiest creations – and for handing Michael Schumacher his debut. The Irish green eventually gave way to its identifiable yellow and in 1998 Damon Hill led Ralf Schumacher for a shock 1-2 at a rain-drenched Spa-Francorchamps. Two more wins, and a genuine title tilt, followed in 1999 for new recruit Heinz-Harald Frentzen – with third in the standings for the team – but it proved the high point. The Midland Group took over for 2005, though its stint was brief, and after a short spell as Spyker, Force India was born for 2008, with Vijay Mallya’s involvement ultimately lasting a decade until Lawrence Stroll entered the scene.
Toro Rosso (Minardi)
Giancarlo Minardi’s junior formula team made the grade in 1985 and settled into a familiar position towards the rear of the grid, renowned for its plucky achievements on a small budget, while trying to bring young and talented drivers through. Giancarlo Fisichella, Jarno Trulli, Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber were all given their debuts with Minardi, who sold up to Paul Stoddart for 2001. Stoddart retained the name but each year became a fight for survival as the cost of competing in the championship increased. Red Bull, having bought Jaguar from Ford for 2005, quickly sought to expand its presence in the sport and reached an agreement to purchase Minardi. The team still operates out of Faenza and its rebranding as Toro Rosso (Italian for ‘Red Bull’) was a nod to the team’s distinguished heritage. Toro Rosso triumphed in only its third year, with Sebastian Vettel victorious at the rain-lashed Italian Grand Prix, and has acted as Red Bull’s training ground, retaining the aura of Minardi. The team has since grown in stature to transition from a backmarker to a firm presence in Formula 1’s midfield.
