Renault F1 to Name Gerhard Berger Team Manager

Former Grand Prix winner Gerhard Berger will reportedly join the Renault Formula One team in a leading management role, starting 2010. The information was disclosed by highly-authoritative French publication Auto Hebdo, whose reporters suggested that new team owner Gerard Lopez offered the Austrian boss the job and the latter accepted it.

Berger spent his last two active seasons in Formula One as an official driver for Benetton Renault team, during the 1996 and 1997 campaigns. His latest commitment in the series was linked with Italian team Scuderia Toro Rosso, as he was part-owner of the outfit until a couple of years ago.

He used to own 50 percent of the Italian team, but decided to sell his share in the outfit to Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz because he wasn't satisfied with the direction his team was heading in the championship.

Prior to his team owner days, Berger used to be motorsport director for German manufacturer BMW. His racing career includes 10 grand prix wins throughout the 14 years he spent in Formula One, his highest performances in the Great Circle being recorded as a Ferrari driver (3rd place in 1988 and 1994).

The aforementioned publication did not mention whether Berger's joining the management team of the Entone based outfit will influence the current organizational scheme within the Renault outfit. During the last part of the 2009 season, Bob Bell was named team manager of the Renault organization, replacing disgraced team boss Flavio Briatore following the crash gate.