Guess who's joined the Austrian Mafia? LOL

• HENG@

  10 Feb 06, 04:04

  BERGER RETURNS WITH TORO ROSSO
  Last Updated: Thursday, 09, February, 2006, 11:57
  
  Former Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger has bought 50% of Scuderia Toro Rosso, the team created out of the Minardi sale to Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz.
  
  The 46-year-old Austrian, who quit F1 as BMW's motorsport director in 2003, has long been linked to a return to the sport as a team principal.
  
  As part of the new deal, Berger will have a hands-on role in the running of STR and will "be available in an advisory capacity" in regards to Red Bull's entire F1 involvement.
  
  "I am aware that my Formula 1 know-how is very much valued by Red Bull in general and by the Italian Toro Rosso team in particular," he said.
  
  Under the terms of the agreement, 50% of Berger's haulage and shipping company will fall under Mateschitz's control.
  
  Berger recently expressed interest in running his own team after 2008, when Max Mosley's new low-cost Formula 1 comes into effect, but the former Ferrari and McLaren star has also been connected to Red Bull since the 1980s.
  
  In fact Berger was the first sportsman to be sponsored by the drinks company, which now runs multi-million dollar promotional programmes in a variety of sports worldwide.
  
  "I’m looking forward to not only continuing to have a great time with Dietrich Mateschitz," added Berger, "but also to being able to implement serious and visionary business developments together in the future.”
  
  The news of Berger's involvement is the latest in a growing list of major F1 coups for Mateschitz.
  
  The Austrian billionaire snatched Adrian Newey from McLaren's grasp at the end of last year after agreeing a supply of latest-spec Ferrari V8 engines for 2006.
  
  He also bought Minardi at a cut-down price last September to become F1's only owner of two teams prior to the deal with Berger.
  
  “I have known and admired Gerhard for twenty years," said Mateschitz.
  
  "I am particularly pleased that we will now be able to take advantage of the synergies that undoubtedly exist between us also for joint business activities.”
  
  from www.itv-f1.com
• Gedanken

  10 Feb 06, 04:55

  Considering that less than a fortnight ago Berger was protesting his innocence and claiming that he was enjoying his time with his family, this is a laugh.
• HENG@

  10 Feb 06, 05:39

  Originally posted by Gedanken:

  Considering that less than a fortnight ago Berger was protesting his innocence and claiming that he was enjoying his time with his family, this is a laugh.

  50% stake... is he going to have a more direct influence in day to day running?