Ex-Ferrari driver to bring his experience to team (ANSA) - Vienna, February 9 - Ex-Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger has acquired a 50% stake in the former Minardi Formula 1 team, now known as Toro Rosso .

Berger bought the stake from fellow Austrian Dietrich Mateschitz, whose beverage company Red Bull this year will be sponsoring two teams in Formula 1: the British-based Red Bull, the former Jaguar team; and Italian-based Toro Rosso, which is the Italian translation of Red Bull .

The Toro Rosso deal involved Berger selling Mateschitz half of his logistics and shipping company, sector sources said .

"I hit three birds with one stone. I will now directly be involved with Red Bull which is of key importance for the development of my own company; I will be able to offer my considerable Formula 1 experience to both the Red Bull and Toro Rosso teams; and I will continue to be able to have fun with Dietrich Mateschitz, while developing some serious business with him," Berger said .

The Austrian drinks tycoon returned the compliment and said that he had been a long-time fan of the ex-Ferrari driver and recalled that "Gerhard was the first leading sportsman to drink Red Bull and this gave our product a big boost in Austria" .

He added that with Berger at Toro Rosso "we will be able to best exploit the synergies between the two teams" .

The Red Bull team this season will race with drivers David Coulthard and Christian Klien and use a Ferrari V8 engine .

Toro Rosso will use a de-tuned Cosworth V10 engine, to meet 2006 standards, with Vitantonio Liuzzi and newcomer Scott Speed as drivers .

Both teams will use Michelin tires .

Now 46, Berger spent 13 years in Formula 1 driving for ATS, Arrows, Benetton, Ferrari and McLaren. He had 210 race starts, 10 wins, 48 podium finishes and collected 12 pole positions .

He drove for Ferrari from 1987 through 1989 at a time when Formula 1 was dominated by the McLarens of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, which in 1988 won 15 out of 16 races .

The only race McLaren did not take was won by Berger and came weeks after the death of this team's legendary founder, Enzo Ferrari, After a three-year spell with McLaren, alongside his friend Senna, Berger returned to Ferrari and played a key role in bringing to the team the man who in the following decade would help take it to six straight constructors' titles, current team director: Jean Todt. Berger spent another three years with Ferrari and in 1996 traded places with Benetton's Michael Schumacher, who went on to win five titles in a row with the Italian team .

After two seasons with Benetton, Berger retired from driving but was soon back at the track as competitions director at BMW, which in 2000 successfully returned to Formula 1 in partnership with Britain's Williams, providing its engines until this year. Williams will use a Cosworth V8 this year .

Berger never won the Formula 1 championship, placing third three times, but only Michael Schumacher and Riccardo Patrese have taken part in more races than he has. He also holds the records among non-champions for most podium finishes, number of fastest laps and the highest number of points scored .