What I think about Monty? Completely Crazy!….

Gherard Berger Former F1 Driver about Monty personality

Audrey: Do you remember when you meet Monty?

Gherard Berger:  Well…it’s so long time ago…. must be somewhere in the beginning of the 80’s and Monty was already into Formula One…. when I arrived….. and of course I immediately… immediately understand that a personality…. knowing everybody and and full of life and ideas…. specially ideas…unlimited ideas and so….I don’t know exeactly where I met him, but I just remember me we got on… from the beginning in a very good way.

Audrey: I saw some pictures where you was with Senna and Monty, you was alla friends?

Gherard Berger:  Yeah…i mean… Monty was very close to Ecclestone trought his wife… Ecclestone’s wife Slavica ….that was a group… but I think he picked up very early Senna… as one of his favorite drivers…. and he always been right…. and when I got close friend with Ayrton …..Monty was always part of the team… he always was in the background making photos, he always try to…. involve us in some business….. very active as I say before and very close to Senna. 

Audrey: What did you think when you saw it? since it was very particular.

Gherard Berger: Yeah… I mean…what I think about Monty? I think the same today at the time…. completely crazy…. but he had the crazy look…. he had a crazy behavior, he had crazy ideas but in a very nice way….

Audrey: Do you remember something like special?

Gherard Berger: I mean special for him was his hair… hair..everybody saw his hair in there  and we know already from the back,  this is Monty… but I think what’s really missing, sometimes you might have lots of ideas, new ideas and Monty was one of these person. 

He… all day long…. he tried to sync what he can improve….what he can make better… but what  he can turn into business….. what you can turn into photos…. it was very interesting personality but…. also he was,  in some way, a very special personality… as I said before from the look from the ideas, but also the way how he was…..he had a big heart… he was a friend. He was funny and he laughed all day long…. so we all like his company.

Audrey:So you met him who was a photographer? 

Gherard Berger: Yes… Yes……you never know…. no….wait a moment… you never know really what he was….. at once he was a photograph at once he was an entrepreneur at once  he was just a friend the company….. but his ideas…. his way of working was all together so….. not clear definition what he was.

Audrey: Were you there at the beginning of Laureus?

Gherard Berger: Yes… Monty was very involved trought Mercedes because he was very close with Jürgen Schrempp  ( ceo Merceds 1995 – 2005 ) …..so he also was part of Laureus and so obviously brought that old Laureus…. but they’re reaching for Laureus was his relationship to shrimp and Mercedes…. so at the time of Jürgen Schrempp was Sylvester Stallone and that was the group  he took a lot.

I think we met in Miami or met after race somewhere…. and then and then we flew with Sylvester… his plaine….back to Europe…. together…. and I have some had some interesting…. interesting meetings with him and…. he knows a lot a lot of people…. he had  a great network great network.

I remember a nice time in the States when we flew with this Sylvester Stallone back to Europe because they try to to make a Formula One film at the time…. and another time… I had a great time with Monty was in Angra ( dos reis) in Brazil…. We’ve been holiday on Ayrton’s place and Monty was with us, of course he made the photos all the time and he always brought him some funny to it… so yeah….. that was a couple of occasions where we really spent some good time together.

 Yeah ….Angra is an island in Brazil and Senna had a house there… and we went to holiday there…. and Monty was a couple of times there…. 

Well…. we didn’t spend so much time together because he was in Italy, he was Milano,  but when we met, we always had good fun together,  we went for dinner,  we went for…. sometimes a little bit of holiday or…. an event Laureus other ones and…. we had a lot of friends in common.

I remember….i visit him two or tre times….I like it very much but when I need something in Milano… then I call Monty…In Milano was my point of reference.

Audrey:the last time you met Monty? 

Gherard Berger: asI think the last time was in Monza with you ,before corona virus… yes was in race track in Monza…. I just remember last time I met you in Monza racetrack…he did so many things that you don’t know anymore… Monty had hundred thousand of ideas ….you know ….and good ideas and a lot of people stole his ideas and…. he was complaining about…. that’s what it is.

Audrey:What do you miss of Monty? 

Gherard Berger: …..Iit’s always a pity …if  a friend is not here anymore …..I I know him as a friend, but I think his personality was very special ….the way how he looked ..his size,  his laughter, the way how he talked…. so yeah, I think a lot of people will miss him.

“…We all remember him as an extremely creative photographer, extremely creative man who came over the years across friend”

“He had a big heart… he was a friend…. he was funny….…. we all we all like his company”