29/08/2009
NEWS STORY
With speculation as to who will drive the second Ferrari at Monza rife, Luca Badoer has called on the Maranello team to give him one more chance to make good.
Just when it appeared things couldn't get any worse for the hapless Italian, Badoer ended a disappointing qualifying session in further ignominy today by spinning off into the gravel at Les Combes after being passed by Sebastian Vettel right at the end of Q1.
Consequently, for the second successive weekend, the former F3000 champion will start a Grand Prix from the back row, knowing that his only chance of a good result is if there's mayhem ahead of him at the start and he is able to avoid it.
With speculation rife as to who might replace him, with just about everyone from Giancarlo Fisichella to Nigel Mansell being mooted as a possible, the Italian veteran has called on his team for one more chance.
"Monza is my home track," he told reporters at Spa. "It's the track where I have spent most time in my life. So for sure I can make a big step there.
"We will see tomorrow," he continued, "though it's not that we are talking whether I will be there or not. I am sure that with more races I can improve."
Having contributed so much to the team, playing a major role as test driver during the glory years at the start of the decade, the Italian doesn't want to be remembered for what happened at Valencia, ironically citing the lack of test time as one of the main reasons he has failed to get to grip with the F60.
"Two years ago I was driving the car so much and there was not so much difference compared with the race driver," he said. "Unfortunately you cannot choose everything in life."