Team Trivia: Scuderia Toro Rosso

Italy's other team, after Ferrari, Scuderia Toro Rosso have an interesting history in Formula 1.

Originally they raced as the popular Minardi team, before Dietrich Mateschitz had so much fun owing one F1 team, Red Bull, he decided he'd like another, and so Toro Rosso took to the grid in time for the 2006 season.

Since then, they have proved to be a capable team, with some good results along the way, and they often finish around sixth or seventh in the constructors' standings.

It is hard for the team to get continuity, as it is used by the senior team as a training ground for young drivers, Sebastian Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen amongst them, and if you don't deliver, there will be someone else on the Red Bull programme wanting your seat.

The Faenza team may've only claimed one podium in their 11 seasons, but of course, that was in the 2008 Italian Grand Priix, when a certain Mr.Vettel stunned the F1 world by not only taking pole, but claiming an emotional first win.

Team Stats

Founded - 2005

First GP - Bahrain 2006

First Win - Italy 2008

Races started - 206

Wins - 1

Poles - 1

Fastest laps - 1

Points - 329

Drivers' titles - 0

Constructors' titles - 0

Owner - Dietrich Mateschitz

Team Principal - Franz Tost

Technical Director - James Key

Carlos Sainz

Seeing as no driver has spent more than three seasons at Toro Rosso in its history, 2017 is a big season for Carlos Sainz, as it is his third at Faenza.

Over the last two seasons, he has grown into one the sport's brighest young talents and is on the verge of big things, but to do this, he may have to leave the Red Bull family, seeing as the senior team is locked out for the foreseeable future, owing to Ricciardo and Verstappen being there.

Carlos Sainz may need to leave the Red Bull family to further his career. (Image Credit: Getty Images/ Peter Fox)

Potential suitors will be impressed with what he has shown in his 40 Grand Prix thus far. In the 2016 US Grand Prix, hampered with a year-old Ferrari Power Unit, the Spaniard drove a magnificent race to sixth, and helped the team to finish just 13 points behind McLaren in the standings.

Interestingly, over the Sainz-Verstappen era at Toro Rosso, the former had the advantage, including out-qualifying the latter 10-9 in 2015.

Born - 1st September 1994 - Madrid, Spain

Age - 22

Race Number - 55

Debut - Australia 2015

First Win - N/A

Races started - 40

Wins - 0

Poles - 0

Fastest laps - 0

Points - 64

Titles - 0

Danill Kvyat

If 2017 is a big season for Sainz, arguably it is a bigger one for Danill Kvyat. Relegated back to Toro Rosso to make way for Verstappen at the senior team last May, for the rest of '16, Kvyat was struggling for form, confidence and motivation. His post-qualifying interviews in Germany are hard to watch, with the young Russian on the verge of tears.

Despite only scoring three points after his demotion, which included two in SIngapore and a highly satisfying battle with Verstappen in the same race, Kvyat was given repreive, owing to Red Bull talent development headmaster Dr. Helmut Marko being unimpressed with Pierre Gasly's failure to wrap up the GP2 championship more quickly.