Minutes after Schu officially confirmed he will not be able to replace Felipe Massa this season, Di Montezemolo announced test driver Luca Badoer will make his comeback in Formula One as a race driver after more than a decade and substitute the Brazilian for at least the Valencia round. Before doing so, however, the Ferrari boss admitted his immense unhappiness over Schu's decision.
“I am very unhappy that a problem means that Michael cannot return to racing. In the past few days, I could appreciate his great efforts and extraordinary motivation which had spread through the team and fans around the world. No doubt his return would have been good for Formula 1 and I am sure it would have seen him fighting for wins again,” said Di Montezemolo for the press.
“In the name of Ferrari and all the fans, I wish to thank him for the strong attachment he displayed for the team in these circumstances. In agreement with Stefano Domenicali, we have therefore decided to give Luca Badoer the chance to race for the Scuderia after he has put in so many years of hard work as a test driver,” concluded Di Montezemolo.
Luca Badoer's last race in Formula One happened win 1999, when racing for Minardi. In his last full-season in F1, the Italian recorded no less than 9 DNFs in 16 races, while failing to cross the finish line in his last 5 F1 outings. He is currently the driver who has contested in the most Grands Prix (48) without scoring a single point in Formula One.
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