The inaugural vehicle under the fresh Visa Cash App RB label – the VCARB 01 – was unveiled at an extravagant event in Las Vegas. This season, the former AlphaTauri squad has undergone a rebranding, adopting the name ‘Racing Bulls’, with Visa and Cash App collaborating as principal partners. As a result of Visa’s affiliations with the NFL and the upcoming Super Bowl in Las Vegas, the team’s launch took place on Thursday evening along the renowned Strip.
The VCARB 01 serves as a display of the team’s novel identity, incorporating elements of the previous Toro Rosso color scheme with its blue and silver features, while also introducing distinctive white and red additions in its design.
In contrast to Alpine’s preceding launch, the team did not delve into extensive specifics regarding the technical advancements made to the car during the winter period. Nevertheless, discernible traces of the highly successful Red Bull design can be observed in the sidepods. VCARB has incorporated several components from its parent team, adhering to the regulations.
Joining drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda at the event were the team’s CEO Peter Bayer and newly appointed team principal Laurent Mekies, who took over from Franz Tost at the conclusion of the previous season. Additionally, the team’s F1 Academy driver Amna Al-Qubaisi was present, alongside F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, who made a special appearance.
While the team’s new name has not been universally embraced, Ricciardo emphasizes the significance of sponsors to a team, asserting, “Let me make one thing clear.” Under its previous guise as AlphaTauri, the team finished eighth in the constructors’ championship last season. Despite a sluggish start that only yielded five points in the opening 17 rounds, the team rallied and concluded the campaign on a strong note, accumulating a total of 25 points, a mere three points behind seventh-placed Williams.
According to the Source racer.com