Grapevine: Berger dismisses STR sale rumours

Berger owns 50 percent of Toro Rosso, with Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz holding the remainder of the shares, after agreeing a deal to return to team management at the start of 2006.

Over the winter there were suggestions that Berger was considering selling his stake, and these speculations intensified at Sepang with claims that an informal offer has been made to buy the team.

Sources suggest that the German racing car maker HWA is looking at making the step up to Formula One on the back of a future floatation on the Frankfurt stock market.

It has been suggested that HWA was ready to offer $150 million (USD) to take over Toro Rosso, on the proviso that Red Bull continued to sponsor the team for five more years.

But Berger says he has no interest in selling his stake and insists that he is fully committed to moving the team forward himself.

"Not at all, it is completely not true," he told autosport.com when asked about the rumours of him selling the team.

"We are growing very well together, both Red Bull and myself. We are very happy. We have a big job to do from where we are starting.

"I am not in this to make a quick bit of money. I want to see if we can move it at least into the midfield."

When asked whether he could confirm the offer from HWA, Berger said: "I don't want to talk about it. I won't go into any discussions anyway."

HWA owner Hans Werner Aufrecht, whose company makes DTM racing cars and F3 engines for Mercedes-Benz, said last week that the stock market floatation was aimed at allowing future expansion.

"The IPO is to prepare the company and the management for future corporate action to speed up growth," Aufrecht said.