Force One F1 India

Force India release Fisichella to join Ferrari

Giancarlo Fisichella has been given the green light by Force India to race for Ferrari for the remainder of the season, with immediate effect. In a seemingly unbridled, altruistic act in the often cut-throat world of Formula One, Force India insisted that no money had changed hands and the switch had been made in good faith for the sake of the veteran driver and the sport itself.

“Following extensive discussions over the past 24 hours, the Force India Formula One Team has agreed to release Giancarlo Fisichella from his contract to join the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team for the remainder of the 2009 season, starting with immediate effect,” Force India said in a statment on Thursday.

Force India team boss Vijay Mallya said that he would not have stood in the way of the Italian taking a race seat with Ferrari. “Giancarlo and his management team approached me yesterday (Wednesday) with the proposal from Ferrari,” Mallya said. “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. Furthermore the agreement will secure Giancarlo’s long-term future with Ferrari and it would be incorrect to jeopardise this, particularly when Giancarlo has made such a vital contribution to Force India.”

Mallya said there had been no financial settlement with Ferrari over the switch of Fisichella, who caused a minor sensation when running Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen close in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix for Force India’s first ever championship points.

“This agreement has been made in good faith and for the good of Giancarlo and the sport in general,” Mallya insisted. “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 would now be expected to make his Ferrari debut at the next Formula One Grand Prix at the Italian circuit of Monza on September 13, most likely taking over from Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer, who has stood in for the injured Felipe Massa at the last two Grands Prix. Force India have yet to confirm who will replace Fisichella alongside Adrian Sutil.

Tags: Ferrari, Force India, Giancarlo Fisichella