Force India driver Giancarlo Fisichella was released from his contract today and allowed to replace Luca Badoer as the stand-in driver for the injured Felipe Massa, and will become Ferrari’s reserve driver for the 2010 season.
“I am very grateful to [Force India team principal] Vijay Mallya for allowing me this opportunity to drive for the Scuderia Ferrari team,” said Fisichella.
“It is true that it has always been an ambition to do this, and for Vijay to have allowed it to become a reality is very generous. I hope in my turn I have helped Force India grow up and be on the right path to achieve [its] own ambitions. It is now a very competitive team and I wish [my teammates] all the very best.”
Fisichella scored Force India’s first-ever pole position, points, and podium finish last weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix, finishing second to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. Force India has yet to name the driver who will take over for Fisichella.
Mallya claims to have allowed Fisichella’s move to Ferrari “for the good of Formula 1,” not in exchange of any kind of financial settlement. At Ferrari, Fisichella will finish out the rest of the season as the second driver next to Kimi Raikkonen.
“He has been an integral part of the team and we owe him a great deal for his input behind the scenes and performance out on track -- we wish him all the best for the future,” said Mallya.
“This sport is a team effort and removing one part, even a major one, will not significantly affect our performance. The competitiveness of the team seen in Belgium was a result of hard work in the factory and wind tunnel, and we have further developments coming for the final races, so we are confident this momentum can be sustained.”
Source: Official Formula 1 Website