A big shift in tactic at STR - Berger out! In a statement issued Tuesday, Red Bull announced that it is taking over the 50% stake held in the Toro Rosso team by Gerhard Berger's company, pending consent to the transaction by the relevant authorities.
Added to the
other half previously owned by Red Bull, Dietrich Mateschitz's energy drink empire now effectively owns two Formula One teams: Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso.
Mateschitz had stated some months ago that he was looking to sell his stake in STR, but now has opted to take the Italian-based outfit back under the Red Bull umbrella. The reversed course sees Berger relinquish his co-ownership, although he maintains a link to the team.
The Toro Rosso team is currently enjoying the use of a Red Bull-designed chassis coupled with Ferrari power, and are currently evaluating drivers such as incumbent Sebastien Bourdais and hopefuls such as Takuma Sato and Sebastien Buemi for the 2009 season.
The following is the joint statement issued by both teams:
Toro Rosso again 100% owned by Red Bull
Subject to approval by competition authorities, Red Bull will again take over the 50% share of the Formula 1 Team Toro Rosso that has been owned by Berger Motorsport since 2006.
The two friends Dietrich Mateschitz and Gerhard Berger have led their joint motorsports project, which emerged from the former Minardi Team, to its greatest success to date. The first win in the team's 25 year history was celebrated at the Italian Grand Prix together with Sebastian Vettel, one of the Red Bull Driver Search Program's biggest talents. In the Formula 1 World Constructors' Championship, the Scuderia Toro Rosso achieved sixth (6) place in this year's season.
Before Red Bull took over Minardi, the team regularly held the role of "bringing up the rear" on the Formula 1 track. The team had to be radically overhauled to fulfill the expectations of the new owners. As part of this reconstruction, the assignment of 50% of the shares to Berger Motorsport was necessary. With this transfer, Gerhard Berger brought all his Formula 1 knowledge and connections into the partnership in order to help further develop Toro Rosso.
"I am very happy that I can support Didi - who has committed himself to Formula 1 with so much dedication - with the reorganisation of the team and in this process to make use of my knowledge so effectively," said Gerhard Berger.
Didi Mateschitz agrees: "I'm very grateful to Gerhard for his enormous input. Together we have made Toro Rosso a team which, from 2008 onwards, will regularly qualify for the Top Ten and collect Championship Points."
From the beginning, Red Bull was responsible for the financial and technical development of the Team, whereas Gerhard Berger focused on steering the athletic side.
"A 100% financing of a joint project by one partner can only make sense, to my mind, at an initial stage," Gerhard Berger emphasised. "This stage is over now. That's why Red Bull will take over the shares again."
"Red Bull will now run Toro Rosso alone on this basis, as well as remaining a partner of Berger Logistik," added Didi Mateschitz.
