Giancarlo Fisichella to join Ferrari for rest of Formula 1 season; replaces Luca Badoer

Fisichella joins Ferrari, replaces Badoer

MARANELLO, Italy — Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella left Force India on Thursday to join Ferrari for the rest of the Formula One season, replacing Luca Badoer.

Ferrari has been eager to find a better replacement for the injured Felipe Massa after longtime test driver Badoer qualified last and finished no better than 14th in his first two races.

“I’m in seventh heaven,” Fisichella said on Ferrari’s Web site. “I’m still having a hard time believing the fact that the dream of my life is coming true.”

Fisichella finished second in last weekend’s Belgian GP, giving Force India its first points in Formula One. Five races remain this season.

“We have chosen Fisichella because we can expect him to make a valuable contribution in this final part of the season,” Ferrari team director Stefano Domenicali said. “Giancarlo has shown, throughout his long career, that he is fast and competitive and we are therefore proud to be able to run an Italian driver in our home race.”

Ferrari’s next home race is the Italian Grand Prix in Monza on Sept. 13.

“Giancarlo and his management team approached me yesterday with the proposal from Ferrari,” Force India chairman and team principal Vijay Mallya said in a statement. “For any Italian driver, a Ferrari race seat is a long-held dream and for Giancarlo it was no exception. No one should stand in the way of this.”

Massa is not expected to return until next season after an accident almost cost him his life at the Hungarian GP. With Kimi Raikkonen also under contract, Ferrari said Fisichella will be the team’s reserve driver in 2010.

“The agreement will secure Giancarlo’s long-term future with Ferrari and it would be incorrect to jeopardize this, particularly when Giancarlo has made such a vital contribution to Force India,” Mallya said.

Fisichella finished second to Raikkonen in last weekend’s Belgian GP, giving Force India its first points in Formula One. Five races remain this season.

“We would like to stress that we have not agreed (to) any financial settlement with Ferrari,” Mallya added. “This agreement has been made in good faith and for the good of Giancarlo and the sport in general. A competitive Italian driver in a Ferrari for Monza is a positive story for Formula One, which can only help raise the sport’s profile in these difficult times.”

Fisichella said he was grateful that Mallya gave him this opportunity.

“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,” Fisichella said. “I hope in my turn I have helped Force India grow up and be on the right path to achieve their own ambitions. They are now a very competitive team and I wish them all the very best.”

Force India said it will announce a replacement for Fisichella in the next few days.