Explained: The origins of Visa Cash App RB’s new F1 team name

Visa Cash App RB CEO Peter Bayer has downplayed the criticism surrounding his team’s new name for the 2024 F1 season, explaining the origins of it.

Red Bull’s sister team has been rebranded from AlphaTauri to Visa Cash App RB for 2024.

Many F1 fans have been critical of the new name for being too long or focused around external sponsors.

Additionally, there’s been confusion over whether the ‘RB’ bit of the name is either ‘Racing Bulls’ or ‘Red Bull’.

Speaking after the launch of the VCARB 01, Bayer - who joined the team last year as CEO - explained how the new team name is linked to late Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz.

"The head of sponsorship at Visa, Andrea [Fairchild], said in an interview that it is a bit of a mouthful, but the reality is that we said from the outset last year that we will move closer to the Red Bull family," Bayer told RacingNews365.

"We wanted to bring the bull and the RB back, and within the Red Bull family, there are the Flying Bulls, which is the plane collection Mr Mateschitz had, those are the Flying Bulls.

"And then somebody in the company said: 'Why don't we call these guys the Racing Bulls, so they have an identity on which they can build on when sponsors will change. We had to change everything, the company name and every single bit in the company including the tax office, so it was quite an effort.”

Bayer pointed out that other F1 teams such as Aston Martin aren’t known or referred to by their full name which includes their sponsors Aramco and Cognizant.

"It fits well into the family, and the RB really stands for Red Bull, and then it was a great problem to have because Visa is one of the biggest brands in the world, and Cash App is one of the most spectacular brands in the financial world, especially in the US - and both wanted to partner with us,” he added.

"We were like: 'Okay, well, Visa Cash App RB Formula 1 Team' and I don't hear a lot of people calling Aston Martin, Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team, I don't hear people talking about Moneygram Haas Formula 1 Team, so we just have to be realistic and focus on the content - and that is a really beautiful and fast car."