Gerhard Berger has acknowledged engaging in discussions with Ferrari to aid his former team in overcoming its current struggles.
Having served two stints with the Maranello-based team in the 1980s and 1990s, Berger subsequently held leadership roles at BMW in Formula 1 and co-owned the Toro Rosso team.
Recently stepping down as boss of the DTM series, Berger confirms that rumours linking him to a return to Italy were not unfounded.
In an interview with Osterreich newspaper, the 63-year-old – who is the father of Heidi Berger, Daniel Ricciardo’s girlfriend – stated, “There were talks, actually.
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“But I’ll say it quite clearly – no, I don’t want to do that anymore.
“I like to be there as an observer and add my two cents here and there.
“But I don’t want that pressure and stress anymore for the rest of my life.
“I’m busy with my companies and with my children in sports – my daughter rides well, and my son drives a kart, and I want to show him how it’s done.”
Berger also mentioned his 26-year-old daughter, Heidi Berger, who has recently garnered international attention as the new girlfriend of Red Bull reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo.
Heidi resides in New York, where she pursues studies and work in the film industry.
Berger expressed his admiration for Ricciardo, stating: “He’s a likable, nice guy. If he gets another chance at Red Bull now, I’d be happy.”
Speaking further on Red Bull, Berger discussed the team’s dilemma in choosing between Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo as a suitable de facto ‘number 2’ driver alongside Max Verstappen.
Berger acknowledged the challenge in finding the right balance, stating, “It’s always such a difficult question.
“How strong should the second driver be?
“If he’s too strong, then you have stress in the team with constant tension and friction that becomes very difficult to manage.
“But if he’s too weak, then it’s still difficult because he’s not scoring enough points.”
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However, Berger remains confident that Formula 1 can withstand the dominance of Red Bull and Verstappen, emphasising the sport’s inner strength.
“We have already survived the Schumacher success story and Hamilton later on,” the Austrian said.
“What the enthusiasm for Verstappen and Spielberg (the Austrian GP) shows us is that Formula 1 has such an inner strength that can withstand anything.”