MARCH 5, 2003

Berger to retire

BMW Motorsport Director Gerhard Berger will retire from his current role at the end of September. The Austrian says that the decision has come because he wants to spend more time with his family.

"This decision was far from easy for me," Berger said. "My job as BMW Motorsport Director means a great deal to me, especially as I have a deep-rooted and special relationship with the company. After all, BMW gave me the opportunity and its trust to prove my entrepreneurial capabilities as well after my active career as a racing driver. My relations with the decision-makers at BMW have been excellent, and working together with Mario Theissen as a directing duo has not only functioned extremely well but has also been very successful. Our target was to build up a powerful team, and we managed to do that. But it's a very time- and labour-intensive job and demands the life of vagabond, such as I've now been living since my early motor racing days in 1979. For the future I would simply like more time for my private life, for my family and myself."