Axed Red Bull driver blames F1 legend for 'confusing' exit

Former Red Bull driver Vitantonio Liuzzi has blamed Formula 1 legend Gerhard Berger for his F1 career being cut short. 

Liuzzi raced for Red Bull in four races across the 2005 season, before receiving a full-time seat with sister team Toro Rosso for the following campaign. 

2006 marked Toro Rosso's first season in F1, with Liuzzi having claimed the team's only points of the year in the United States Grand Prix. 

However, the Italian was dropped at the end of the 2007 season for Sebastien Bourdais before returning to F1 with Force India in the latter stages of 2009. 

According to Liuzzi, Bourdais was being supported by Berger, who was Toro Rosso co-owner at the time before selling his share back to Red Bull in February 2009. 

Liuzzi felt his career was going very strongly with Red Bull, but claims that 10-time F1 race winner Berger forced him out.

"It was a little bit confusing at the time, because when I was in Red Bull I thought my full career would be with them because I was linking perfectly with the brand and it was a big family," Liuzzi told the Inside Line podcast.

"But then after Berger came into the Toro Rosso team, we started having the first friction because he had his own interest towards other drivers.

"He was supporting Bourdais together with Nicolas Todt and that’s why he started putting pressure. In my last year with Toro Rosso, Mr Mateschitz decided to put in Vettel instead of Scott Speed.

"I did a super season because I was super competitive in the second part of this season, also when Vettel was my team-mate, but Berger had different ideas.

"So in the end, even if I was pretty sure that my position would have been confirmed for 2008 because in terms of pace, consistency, handling the team, working together with the team it was a really great year.

"Gerhard had totally different ideas, let’s say, for the future. So in not the nicest way, we ended up breaking up due to Gerhard."

Mateschitz 'like a father'

As mentioned, Liuzzi went on to join Force India for the final five races of the 2009 season. He remained with the team in 2010 but joined HRT in 2011. 

His one season with HRT was his last in F1. Liuzzi did not expect to change teams during his career, having felt that he would remain with the Red Bull family forever. 

The 44-year-old viewed Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz "like a father", but felt unable to raise his concerns about Berger. 

Berger and Mateschitz were not only business partners but also close friends, putting Liuzzi in an uncomfortable position.

"It was my breaking point with Red Bull, because if not I think I would have been with Red Bull for all my career because the Mr Mateschitz was really believing in me and it was the same for me [towards the team]," added Liuzzi.

"He was like a father to me. It was really great to work with them.

“But Gerhard was the breaking up link at the time. It’s is a long story, the way he did it, but it was not [done] in the nicest way and in the cleanest way, but that’s how it is when you are in such a big sport. You have to fight with every kind of situation.

"We fought really hard with Gerhard. I got really pissed off with that situation that I couldn’t even go and say to Mr Mateschitz because obviously they were partners for so many years."