The Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri Formula One team have been rebranded for the 2024 season, with their Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo set to be now racing in the colours of Visa Cash App RB – a mouthful of a name that’s already prompted criticism.

The deal is part of Visa’s first major global sports sponsorship in more than 15 years with a multi-year agreement to partner the newly-named team and dominant world champions Red Bull Racing.

The team’s drivers are Ricciardo and Japanese Yuki Tsunoda, but it seems likely the team’s new name will be shortened by most commentators to the last two letters.

Italy-based AlphaTauri were previously Scuderia Toro Rosso, and before that Minardi – but the latest version has sparked plenty of debate.

“Visa Cash App RB is the worst team name in Formula One history and is an embarrassment to Red Bull and Formula One as a whole,” declared an article on the www.the-race.com website.

The claim was bold, bearing in mind the 1970s saw both the Surtees Durex team, backed by a condom maker, and Penthouse Rizla Racing Hesketh promoting a ‘men’s magazine’ and a cigarette paper brand.

Both of those were generally referred to as Surtees and Hesketh.

The sport has also had team names featuring cigarette brands, refrigerators, real estate companies, drinks, watches and toiletries.

AlphaTauri is the name of Austrian energy drink company Red Bull’s fashion brand.

The official www.Formula1.com website said the new team will be known as RB, although that could prove problematic as Red Bull Racing’s cars have traditionally taken the RB prefix with last year’s designated the RB19.

ESPN reported the team was already being referred to as V-CARB within the company.

AlphaTauri finished eighth out of 10 teams last season. The first race of 2024 is in Bahrain on March 2.

– AAP