Vijay Mallya: Fisi Staying Put - Anyone Have Salo’s Number?
Force India team boss Vijay Mallya has insisted that Giancarlo Fisichella will race for the team at next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.
The Italian veteran has been widely rumored to be moving to Ferrari as a replacement for Luca Badoer, who has been less than impressive during the last two races he has acted as stand-in for the injured Felipe Massa.
“Fisichella has himself clarified that he has ‘not received any invitation from Ferrari’ and went on to add that ‘he was looking forward to driving the Force India car at the Monza GP’,” Mallya said.
“There has been absolutely no change whatsoever on this front since yesterday and we look forward to Fisichella scorching the tracks at Monza,” he added.
So, Fisi is off the market so to speak, at least off the market until some cash flows from Maranello.
BMW are also fending off the rumor mill dismissing suggestions that Robert Kubica could stand in for Massa at Monza this week as it emerged that the Brazilian is unlikely to return to F1 this year due to the need for plastic surgery.
My question is why all the alleged poaching of drivers not only under contract, but active in the current championship?
My second question is, does anyone have Mika Salo’s phone number?
If Ferrari thought it was reasonable to reward Luca Badoer for a decade as a test driver wouldn’t it also be reasonable to reward Salo who achieved 2 podiums and 33 championship points?
Salo came to be known as “F1’s Super-Sub,” first filling in for injured BAR driver Ricardo Zonta, then for Michael Schumacher as he recovered from a broken leg suffered during the 1999 British Grand Prix.
It was as a substitute for Schumi, and partnered with Eddie Irvine at Ferrari, that led to Salo’s greatest claim to fame.
In his second event as a sub for Schumi Salo led for part of the 1999 German Grand Prix and would have scored a Grand Prix win but team orders demanded that he give the lead to Irvine, who at the time was fighting for the championship with Mika Häkkinen.
Following the race, Irvine handed his victory trophy over to Salo as a gesture to show his gratitude. Salo also also finished third at Monza that year ahead of Irvine.
Not to put too fine a point on it, if Ferrari can reward Luca Badoer who was a decade removed from the championship, why not Mika Salo who’s only seven years removed and has stayed active racing in the FIA GT Series? (Old Salo to NASCAR rumors aside of course.)
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Salo?…..why not Sato? or Davidson or Klien. In fact the driver with most recent F1 experience (Piquet excluded) is Coulthard, although I’m guessing he has put on a few pounds. Regardless Gene will probably see out the season.
What Ferrari need is a solid driver to back up Kimi/Alonso next year, as Massa may never return to full fitness. Why the hell they are not going after Adrian Sutil is beyond me. He is quick, has been punching above his weight in the FI & is now experienced enough to step up to a top team. Everybody forgets his junior record against Hamilton in F3, & how the financial wheels came off his wagon, & the move to Japanese F3 where he cleaned up.
Rosberg should also be the other driver they should be targeting, although McLaren may well beat them to that punch. At this rate Heikki Kovalainen could end up being some sort of 2010 stop gap while they sort themselves out. He is up to speed with the latest generation of F1 car, the lack of testing prohibits inexperienced drivers getting a seat, & he has race miles at two to teams.
Why not Sebastian Loeb?
Yes, I jest.
I was just following Ferrari’s lack of logic in rewarding long ago allies and friends, at least Salo has some points to his name and not so far removed from actual and live competition.
But what the hell do I know, I’d put Danica in the seat.
Danica!?? For God’s sake! You might as well put Scott Speed or SeeBass into the car. Actually SeeBass would at least keep it off the wall & bring the car home.
They have to go after Sutil or Rosberg to partner Kimi/Alonso.
Heikki may still be that stopgap.
Gene for the rest of this year, Massa and Kimi next year. If they buy out Kim I wouldn’t be surprised to see Schumy in the seat instad of Alonso. Fred will come in 2011, if he isn’t banished by the FIA for Singapore shenannigans. What are we going to call this one? “Piquetgate”? “Singgate”? “Cheatgate”?
By the way, wouldn’t that be Massa’s biggest mightmare? Come back from serious injury to play second fiddle to Schumy….again?
I got it! “Flabgate”!! I’m sure you can do much better Marc, come up with a catchy title before someone else beats you to the punch.
Well now they have gone and signed veteran Fisi for the rest of the 2009 season!
While Fisi will be the perfect solution to the problem of the absent Massa the interesting aspect was Luca’s announcement that Fisi will be the Ferrari third driver for 2010 [read into that what you will].
So it appears it will be Kimi for 2010, Massa in the car in the new year & Fisi the reserve if Massa’s form in winter testing or the early races falters……..where to for Alonso?
“…..where to for Alonso?”
USF1!!
“…..where to for Alonso?”
Fisi’s old seat, to see if he can make a silk purse out of that sow’s ear.
Mallya is too cheap to pay a premium driver’s wage. I still give the man credit for not bringing an under performing Indian national into the seat, at least not yet. When and if there is an Indian GP race I think it’s a lock for Chandhock. (forgive spelling please).
No, I won’t.
But I think it’s right.
I dont think anybody would begrudge Mallya running a national as a one-off, the first Indian GP is going to be an enormous event & a local driver will only increase interest.
The other Indian shoe is Narain Karthikeyan but I think he is locked down with Tata.
Not sure about Karthikeyan, he had a spotty record in A1GP.
Hey, did you see who was racing in Estoril this weekend? Look around I have a post on it.