Jan.25 (GMM) Fans and journalists have reacted with horror and amusement as the new official name for Red Bull’s Alpha Tauri team was confirmed on Wednesday.
It had been rumoured that the arrival of sponsors Visa and Cash App would be combined with the ‘Racing Bulls’ moniker – perhaps shortened to ‘RB’.
But although racingbulls.com directs to the official website of Red Bull’s second Formula 1 team, which in the past had previously also been known as Toro Rosso, there was no mention of ‘Racing Bulls’ in Wednesday’s announcement.
“Visa Cash App RB races into the future,” the press release declared.
Michel Milewski, a correspondent for the major German newspaper Bild, commented: “I’m sorry – what?!”
Ilari Savonen, of the Finnish broadcaster MTV, agreed that the new name is “horrible”, and even DPA news agency in Germany admitted it is “rather unusual”.
El Mundo Deportivo described Visa Cash App RB as a “shocking name”, while fellow Spanish sports newspaper Marca thinks it’s the “ugliest name in F1 history”.
“Goodbye Alpha Tauri,” said Daniele Sparisci, F1 correspondent for Corriere della Sera – a newspaper in Italy, where the Red Bull-owned team is based.
“The new name of the Faenza team is a credit card,” he quipped.
Sky Deutschland headlined: “Formula 1 team gets a strange new name” – a sentiment backed by former F1 driver Giedo van der Garde on social media.
“We’re getting used to F1 being commercialised, as it should,” said the Dutchman. “So for commercial opportunities I’m all in.
“But this just sounds like a name an Italian based team shouldn’t carry. Maybe they prove me wrong, but I don’t see us talking in the future about that awesome team that’s called Visa Cash App RB.”
According to Tobias Gruner, writing for Auto Motor und Sport, Red Bull even had to take quite some time convincing F1 owner Liberty Media that the new name should be permitted.
“It will be interesting to see whether the name, which takes some getting used to, will catch on among TV commentators and written media,” he said.
The German magazine phoned Red Bull’s top consultant Dr Helmut Marko for his comment, and the 80-year-old admits the name is “a little tongue twister”.
Social media rumours, meanwhile, suggest insiders at the Faenza-based team are already referring to Visa Cash App RB by an acronym: “V-CARB”.
