Berger quits as Toro Rosso boss

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Formula One team Red Bull are set to regain 100% control of sister outfit Toro Rosso after buying out the 50% share owned by Gerhard Berger.

The deal is pending approval by regulatory authorities.

If it goes through, Red Bull chief Dietrich Mateschitz will wholly own two teams on the F1 grid.

Fellow Austrian Berger, who won 11 Grands Prix in a 14-year career, had been Toro Rosso's boss but will cease all involvement with the team.

The team said they were not planning any further changes to their management structure.

Toro Rosso, the former Minardi team, are Red Bull's junior team and use the same car but fitted with Ferrari engines rather than Renaults.

They outperformed Red Bull in the 2008 season - German rising star Sebastien Vettel won the Italian Grand Prix in September, the team's and Red Bull's first F1 win, and has moved from Toro Rosso to Red Bull for 2009.

The German became the youngest winner in Formula One history at the age of 21.

"I am very happy that I can support Didi (Mateschitz) - who has committed himself to Formula One with so much dedication - with the reorganisation of the team and in this process to make use of my knowledge so effectively," said Berger.

"A 100% 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."

Mateschitz added: "I'm very grateful to Gerhard for his enormous input.

"Together we have made Toro Rosso a team which, from 2008 onwards, will regularly qualify for the top 10 and collect championship points.

"Red Bull will now run Toro Rosso alone on this basis."

Red Bull suffered a blow last week when Australian driver Mark Webber broke his leg in a bike crash but the team expect him to be fit to start the 2009 season.