Friday, December 3, 2010

Test driver Luca Badoer leaving Ferrari

Luca Badoer clocked up more than 130,000 kilometres as Ferrari's test driver

Veteran driver Luca Badoer is set to leave Ferrari after a decade at test driver for the famous Italian marque.

After leaving Minardi in 1999, Badoer accumulated more than 130,000 kilometres at the Mugello and Fiorano test circuits each year and is credited with making a vital contribution to Ferrari's first Formula One drivers' championship win for 21 years in 2000.

The Italian got his big break with Ferrari when he replaced the injured Felipe Massa in the Brazilian's race cockpit in the middle of 2009, becoming the oldest driver on the F1 grid. But he was heavily criticised for his lack of pace and made way for another Italian, Giancarlo Fisichella.

Ferrari announced last month that Jules Bianchi had been signed as a the team's test driver for 2011 and Autosprint revealed that badoer is now surplus to requirements with Fisichella and Marc Gene also contracted to test roles.

The magazine said his last laps in a Ferrari F1 car were during the team's recent end of season celebrations in Valencia when he reacquainted with the F60 he raced three times in 2009.

Badoer also raced 58 other times for minor Italian teams throughout the 90s.

Source: Motorsport

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