Rennie Scaysbrook | October 2, 2017
Former French WorldSBK rider Maxime Berger has died at the age of 28, the victim of an apparent suicide.
Berger had been in a coma since early September at the CHU Hospital in Dijon, France, until he passed away last Friday, September 29.
“Following the malice that drove Maxime Berger into a vegetative state for a month, it was with great sadness that I decided, with the agreement of the doctors of the CHU, to let Maxime go,” his father Alain Berger said in a statement that was originally published by GP Paddock.com.
“He will soon be at peace. Thank you all for the support you have given. A press release will be issued shortly regarding his funeral.”
Berger’s career saw him take the 2007 European Superstock 600 Championship aboard a Team Trasimeno Yamaha at the age of 18, then moving to the Superstock 1000 championship where he placed second in 2008 and 2010 for Ten Kate Honda with seven victories.
He moved up to WorldSBK in 2011 with Supersonic Racing Team Ducati, finishing 16th that year with seventh as his best result.
He moved to the Effenbert Liberty Ducati squad for 2012 but lost his ride half way through the season. He would find a home for the remainder of the year at the Red Devils Roma Ducati, where he took his best ever WorldSBK result of fourth at his home track of Magny-Cours in France.
Following his departure from the WorldSBK paddock, Berger contested selected rounds of the Endurance World Championship, before stepping away from racing.