Berger may return to F1
The veteran of 210 grands prix, and BMW motor sport director until 2003, told Austrian sports magazine 'Kicker' that he would 'gladly come back' if the conditions were right.
''It is an idea that is in my head,'' Berger, 46, admitted.
Much like fellow hopefuls David Richards and Roger Penske, however, Berger said his plan would very much depend on Max Mosley's proposed 2008 regulations, where minimum budgets should plummet to around $50m a year.
Berger said: ''At the moment, (starting) a truly independent team is not really realistic.
''But if it was more accessible, more affordable, I'd think about it.''
02/01/06 Gerhard Berger has responded to speculation that he is eying a return to formula one.
But the former driver, who left his role as joint BMW motor sport director nearly three years ago, seemed to reject Bernie Ecclestone's claim that he was considering running his own team in 2008.
Instead, he hinted that a role within Dietrich Mateschitz's Red Bull F1 empire would be more likely.
''I have known him for nearly twenty years,'' Berger, 46, told the Austrian 'Trend' magazine. ''It would be a good opportunity to work with a good friend.
'However, right now, the timing is not right.''
Berger, who raced for teams including Ferrari, McLaren and Benetton until he retired in 1997, suggested that he is too busy enjoying his family to work '24 hours a day' in a F1 job.
He advised: ''But I could wake up one morning and have the feeling that I need to live that life once again.''
01/25/06 Former ten-time grand prix winner Gerhard Berger could return to the grid — as a team boss.
The 46-year-old Austrian, who also retired from his role as BMW motor sport director, was mentioned by Bernie Ecclestone as a possible new entrant for the sport's near future.
''After 2007, more teams will come,'' the F1 supremo said at an Austrian ski event on Sunday.
Bernie continued: ''Roger Penske wants to return, if we can bring down the costs, and the same is true of David Richards and Gerhard Berger.''