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F1: Toro Rosso Again Fully Owned by Red Bull
Written by: Adam Cooper   http://www.speedtv.com
11/25/2008
Faenza, Italy
 
Mateschitz (R) has bought back the 50% of STR previously owned by Berger (L). (LAT Photo) ยป More Photos

Red Bull has taken over Gerhard Berger’s 50% shareholding in Scuderia Toro Rosso, and thus the team is back under the same full company ownership as Red Bull Racing.

Berger gained his shareholding when he was brought in to run the team. As part of the deal Red Bull took a shareholding in his trucking business, Berger Logistik, which it retains.

The original plan was that Berger and Red Bull would both find outside sponsorship, but there was little sign of any deals over the past three seasons, and it was clear that all the funding was coming from Red Bull.

“A 100% financing of a joint project by one partner can only make sense, to my mind, at an initial stage,” said Berger in a team statement. “That 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,” said Mateschitz.

Berger has been in discussion with various potential partners for some time, while Mateschitz also made it clear that his long term plan to was to sell. However, this would have been a complex process had STR remained under two owners with different goals.

It remains to be seen whether the return to 100% ownership is the first step to the team being sold on, or whether it means quite the opposite, and Mateschitz has decided to keep both operations going under his name.

Speaking to SPEEDtv.com recently, Berger confirmed that his future was very much in the hands of his partner.

“For me it’s very simple,” said the Austrian.
“I just can do it with Red Bull, I cannot do it without Red Bull. But at the same time I want to have a happy Red Bull, not an unhappy Red Bull. If they are in a selling mood, OK, then also for me, bye-bye.

“I’m not talking with any investors. I leave it totally in the hands of Red Bull. For me, I did this because of a Red Bull, because I trust Red Bull to have enough possibilities to do something. It’s very difficult to have somebody where you don’t know about the money...

“If you are then focused and all day long busy with just collecting the money, you don’t have any energy and anything left any more for doing a good job. And that was from the beginning my big guarantee from Red Bull. So for me the only alternative possibility would be a manufacturer. That’s also something where you know you’re going into serious business.

“At the end of the day we’re 50-50 partners. It’s me who decides over my 50%, to be clear. But I am totally fine if Red Bull doesn’t want to be with Toro Rosso. It could be a manufacturer, where I would like to stay, but otherwise I don’t see anything where I would be interested. A manufacturer is not really on the list, so I would say at the end of the day if Red Bull goes left, I go left, if Red Bull goes right, I go right.

“We have to agree with each other. I have to agree with them and they have to agree with me. It’s not going to be difficult because I have to say I achieved what I achieved with this team thanks to Red Bull. So I’m always going to be constructive with Red Bull too.”
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