Ferrari didn't need to approach Berger: 'Don't have that ambition anymore'

Gerhard Berger has stated that he would not have taken the position of Ferrari team boss if it were offered to him. In an interview with Auto, Motor und Sport Berger explains that his time in motorsport has come to an end.

Following Mattia Binotto' s departure as Ferrari team boss last December, it took some time for the Italian racing stable to announce its successor. Although Frederic Vasseur was seen as the biggest contender, other names were also doing the rounds, including Berger's. The Austrian had good credentials for the position: he drove at Ferrari himself in the 1990s, has previously held the position of team boss at Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri) and has held an important position within the FIA.

Ferrari has never officially disclosed whether other candidates besides Vasseur were approached, but as far as Berger is concerned, it would not have made any difference. " I absolutely would not have accepted it," the Austrian explains. "I am 63 now, I notice that my battery is also not as full as it was a few years ago. Of course, I have a lot of know-how from motorsport but I no longer have the ambition to be on the road every day."

Family main focus

"I am lucky to still have a young family," Berger continued. "My son just turned six, my daughter is nine, and I would like to be able to take care of them. I barely had time for my other children because I was always on the move, and I would like to have more time for my family now. That is why I made the choice to step away from motorsport. The subject is closed for me and I want to focus on my family now."