Gerhard Berger retired from Formula One at the end of the 1997 season—the end of an era for one of the sport’s superstars from the turbocharged mid-eighties. Competing against legends like Senna, Prost, Piquet, and Mansell from 1986 to 1995, Berger’s career win count might have been higher than ten without such formidable rivals.
| Nationality | Austrian |
|---|---|
| Born | Gerhard Berger 27 August 1959 Wörgl, Austria |
Starting with a modest racing background in Alfas and moving through the German and European Formula 3 series, Berger built a reputation as a reliable and quick driver. He joined the ATS team in late 1984, and his sixth-place finish at Monza hinted at his potential despite a severe accident in the off-season that resulted in neck injuries. Yet, Berger was back on track for the 1985 season with Arrows-BMW.
Berger’s move to Benetton in 1986, powered by BMW engines, highlighted his abilities, leading to his first Grand Prix victory in Mexico after initial setbacks. A subsequent move to Ferrari in 1987 saw him overcoming challenges to win in Japan and Australia. Despite a tough final year at Ferrari, overshadowed by Nigel Mansell and a severe crash at Imola, Berger achieved a win at Estoril before switching to McLaren to partner Ayrton Senna.
His time at McLaren started with difficulties, but eventually, he was able to complement Senna well, securing several Grand Prix wins. Returning to Ferrari in 1995 proved challenging due to the ‘active’ suspension system and was tainted by several incidents, though he managed a podium finish. Despite personal tragedies, including the deaths of close friends and colleagues at Imola, Berger persisted, ending a winless streak with a victory at Hockenheim.
In 1996, with Ferrari’s signing of Michael Schumacher, Berger felt sidelined and chose to rejoin Benetton alongside Jean Alesi. Despite initial struggles with the car’s handling, Berger performed well, earning a second-place finish at Silverstone. His final season was interrupted by health issues and personal loss but culminated in a triumphant win at the 1997 German Grand Prix before he retired from racing after 210 races.
Berger remained involved in Formula 1, overseeing BMW’s successful return as Competitions Director until 2003. In 2006, he expanded his involvement in motorsports by acquiring a stake in Scuderia Toro Rosso, alongside a business exchange with Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz involving his family’s haulage company. Red Bull, however, regained complete ownership in late November 2008 by acquiring Berger’s stake.
Gerhard Berger Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1984–1997 |
|---|---|
| Teams | ATS, Arrows, Benetton, Ferrari, McLaren |
| Engines | BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Renault |
| Entries | 210 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 10 |
| Podiums | 48 |
| Career points | 385 |
| Pole positions | 12 |
| Fastest laps | 21 |
| First entry | 1984 Austrian Grand Prix |
| First win | 1986 Mexican Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1997 German Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1997 European Grand Prix |
Gerhard Berger Teammates
| 8 drivers | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manfred Winkelhock | 2 | 1984 | |
| Thierry Boutsen | 16 | 1985 | |
| Teo Fabi | 16 | 1986 | |
| Michele Alboreto | 32 | 1987 | 1988 |
| Nigel Mansell | 16 | 1989 | |
| Ayrton Senna | 48 | 1990 | 1992 |
| Jean Alesi | 77 | 1993 | 1997 |
| Nicola Larini | 2 | 1994 |
Race Wins
| Win Number | Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1986 Mexican Grand Prix |
| 2 | 1987 Japanese Grand Prix |
| 3 | 1987 Australian Grand Prix |
| 4 | 1988 Italian Grand Prix |
| 5 | 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix |
| 6 | 1991 Japanese Grand Prix |
| 7 | 1992 Canadian Grand Prix |
| 8 | 1992 Australian Grand Prix |
| 9 | 1994 German Grand Prix |
| 10 | 1997 German Grand Prix |
Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | WDC | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Team ATS | ATS D7 | BMW M12/13 1.5 L4 t | BRA | RSA | BEL | SMR | FRA | MON | CAN | DET | DAL | GBR | GER | AUT 12 | NED | ITA 6 ‡ | EUR Ret | POR 13 | NC | 0 | |
| 1985 | Barclay Arrows BMW | Arrows A8 | BMW M12/13 1.5 L4 t | BRA Ret | POR Ret | SMR Ret | MON Ret | CAN 13 | DET 11 | FRA Ret | GBR 8 | GER 7 | AUT Ret | NED 9 | ITA Ret | BEL 7 | EUR 10 | RSA 5 | AUS 6 | 20th | 3 | |
| 1986 | Benetton Formula Ltd | Benetton B186 | BMW M12/13 1.5 L4 t | BRA 6 | ESP 6 | SMR 3 | MON Ret | BEL 10 | CAN Ret | DET Ret | FRA Ret | GBR Ret | GER 10 | HUN Ret | AUT 7 | ITA 5 | POR Ret | MEX 1 | AUS Ret | 7th | 17 | |
| 1987 | Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC | Ferrari F1/87 | Ferrari 033D 1.5 V6 t | BRA 4 | SMR Ret | BEL Ret | MON 4 | DET 4 | FRA Ret | GBR Ret | GER Ret | HUN Ret | AUT Ret | ITA 4 | POR 2 | ESP Ret | MEX Ret | JPN 1 | AUS 1 | 5th | 36 | |
| 1988 | Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC | Ferrari F1/87/88C | Ferrari 033E 1.5 V6 t | BRA 2 | SMR 5 | MON 2 | MEX 3 | CAN Ret | DET Ret | FRA 4 | GBR 9 | GER 3 | HUN 4 | BEL Ret | ITA 1 | POR Ret | ESP 6 | JPN 4 | AUS Ret | 3rd | 41 | |
| 1989 | Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC | Ferrari 640 | Ferrari 035/5 3.5 V12 | BRA Ret | SMR Ret | MON | MEX Ret | USA Ret | CAN Ret | FRA Ret | GBR Ret | GER Ret | HUN Ret | BEL Ret | ITA 2 | POR 1 | ESP 2 | JPN Ret | AUS Ret | 7th | 21 | |
| 1990 | Honda Marlboro McLaren | McLaren MP4/5B | Honda RA109E 3.5 V10 | USA Ret | BRA 2 | SMR 2 | MON 3 | CAN 4 | MEX 3 | FRA 5 | GBR 14 | GER 3 | HUN 16 | BEL 3 | ITA 3 | POR 4 | ESP Ret | JPN Ret | AUS 4 | 4th | 43 | |
| 1991 | Honda Marlboro McLaren | McLaren MP4/6 | Honda RA121E 3.5 V12 | USA Ret | BRA 3 | SMR 2 | MON Ret | CAN Ret | MEX Ret | FRA Ret | GBR 2 | GER 4 | HUN 4 | BEL 2 | ITA 4 | POR Ret | ESP Ret | JPN 1 | AUS 3 | 4th | 43 | |
| 1992 | Honda Marlboro McLaren | McLaren MP4/6B | Honda RA122E 3.5 V12 | RSA 5 | MEX 4 | 5th | 49 | |||||||||||||||
| McLaren MP4/7A | Honda RA122E/B 3.5 V12 | BRA Ret | ESP 4 | SMR Ret | MON Ret | CAN 1 | FRA Ret | GBR 5 | GER Ret | HUN 3 | BEL Ret | ITA 4 | POR 2 | JPN 2 | AUS 1 | |||||||
| 1993 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari F93A | Ferrari 041 3.5 V12 | RSA 6 | BRA Ret | EUR Ret | SMR Ret | ESP 6 | MON 14 | CAN 4 | FRA 14 | GBR Ret | GER 6 | HUN 3 | BEL 10 | ITA Ret | POR Ret | JPN Ret | AUS 5 | 8th | 12 | |
| 1994 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 412T1 | Ferrari 041 3.5 V12 | BRA Ret | PAC 2 | SMR Ret | MON 3 | ESP Ret | CAN 4 | 3rd | 41 | |||||||||||
| Ferrari 412T1B | Ferrari 041 3.5 V12 | FRA 3 | GBR Ret | |||||||||||||||||||
| Ferrari 412T1B | Ferrari 043 3.5 V12 | GER 1 | HUN 12 | BEL Ret | ITA 2 | POR Ret | EUR 5 | JPN Ret | AUS 2 | |||||||||||||
| 1995 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 412T2 | Ferrari 044/1 3.0 V12 | BRA 3 | ARG 6 | SMR 3 | ESP 3 | MON 3 | CAN 11 | FRA 12 | GBR Ret | GER 3 | HUN 3 | BEL Ret | ITA Ret | POR 4 | EUR Ret | PAC 4 | JPN Ret | AUS Ret | 6th | 31 |
| 1996 | Mild Seven Benetton Renault | Benetton B196 | Renault RS8 3.0 V10 | AUS 4 | BRA Ret | ARG Ret | EUR 9 | SMR 3 | MON Ret | ESP Ret | CAN Ret | FRA 4 | GBR 2 | GER 13 | HUN Ret | BEL 6 | ITA Ret | POR 6 | JPN 4 | 6th | 21 | |
| 1997 | Mild Seven Benetton Renault | Benetton B197 | Renault RS9 3.0 V10 | AUS 4 | BRA 2 | ARG 6 | SMR Ret | MON 9 | ESP 10 | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER 1 | HUN 8 | BEL 6 | ITA 7 | AUT 10 | LUX 4 | JPN 8 | EUR 4 | 5th | 27 |
Sources: Wikipedia.com and historicracing.com
