Berger: Toro Rosso will lose ground in 2009

Gerhard Berger claims to have sold his shares in Toro Rosso to Red Bull for performance reasons. He indeed feels that the regulations will not favor the small Scuderia, mainly due to the new regulations in effect in 2009.

Toro Rosso announced yesterday that Red Bull’s boss, Dietrich Mateschitz, had purchased Berger’s shares, which is 50% of the team, thus giving full control of STR to the Austrian energy drink company.

The team benefited from a spectacular 2008 season, taking 6th place in the Constructors’ World Championship (ahead of Red Bull Racing Team) and winning its first Grand Prix at Monza.

But Berger thinks it will be difficult for the small team to maintain this level after the major changes planned in the regulations for the 2009 season.

« The new regulations do not leave much chance for a small team like Scuderia Toro Rosso to improve », says Berger.

Furthermore, Dietrich Mateschitz is expected to focus primarily on Red Bull Racing next season. Therefore, he will no longer support STR 100%, which will decrease the chances of Toro Rosso drivers finishing beyond 6th place at the end of a Grand Prix.

« I don’t want regression, it’s not in my nature. »

But Berger emphasized that he was leaving Toro Rosso on good terms.

« Yes, I am leaving STR, but the separation between the Scuderia and Mateschitz is completely amicable and there is no rift between us.

He also denied the rumor suggesting that his departure was motivated by a disagreement over the 2009 Toro Rosso line-up. « It has nothing to do with that. » Insisted Berger.

Toro Rosso may therefore be definitively leaning towards a line-up of Sébastien Buemi and Takuma Sato for the next season.