MARCH 5, 2003
Berger to retire
"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."