Red Bull plans to sell Toro Rosso

UPDATE #2 This rumor is downgraded back to 'speculation' today. Red Bull's motorsport advisor Helmut Marko says that rumors of Red Bull Racing or Scuderia Toro Rosso quitting F1 are simply not true. Marko said: "They (both teams) are safe right now. But Red Bull Racing could save 30 percent of their budget."

11/27/08 This rumor is upgraded to 'fact' today. Former co-owner Gerhard Berger has confirmed reports that he abandoned the Toro Rosso project because Red Bull wants to sell the team.

Red Bull, previously with half-ownership of the Faenza based team, announced this week that it has taken over the other 50 per cent stake, controlled since 1996 by the former grand prix winner Berger.

The Austrian told the Tiroler newspaper that he started thinking about pulling out "when Didi (Mateschitz) said that because of the changes in regulations he wanted to sell".

"I would have gladly continued with Toro Rosso, but I could not finance it by myself," Berger added.

He said that without Red Bull's support, Toro Rosso would revert to its Minardi-like days of mere survival rather than competing with the other teams.

"The conditions in order to make the next step are no longer there, and it has never been my style just to be here (in F1) for the sake of it," said Berger.

Dietrich Mateschitz

11/26/08 (GMM) Gerhard Berger sold his 50 per cent share of the Toro Rosso team back to Red Bull because of the 'customer car' issue.

It was previously understood that Dietrich Mateschitz, the owner of Red Bull Racing, wanted to offload his 50 per cent STR share, because of the tightening rules about non-constructors.

Like Red Bull, Toro Rosso races a car designed by Red Bull Technologies.

The practice has been highly controversial, and all teams have now been told categorically they must design and build their own cars by 2010.

"The rules about non-designers makes it very difficult for Toro Rosso to continue to develop," Berger, a former winner of 10 grands prix, told Austria's APA news agency.

"(Red Bull's) support for Toro Rosso no longer exists to the extent that we can continue to make progress. The precondition for me (to be involved) is the chance of success."

In a statement issued by Red Bull, Berger said: "A 100 per cent financing of a joint project by one partner can only make sense, to my mind, at an initial stage. This stage is over now.

"That's why Red Bull will take over the shares again."

It is understood that Red Bull's full control will make Toro Rosso easier to sell.

Berger told APA that he will no longer be involved at all. "This is no big secret," he explained.