Previews

Monza next up for F1 circus

Author: John Harris
Date: 10/09/2009
Formula One betting

Formula One fever heats up this week ahead of the Italian GP and there is change at Ferrari and Force India.

Giancarlo Fisichella has been installed as a Ferrari driver for the remainder of the season after Felipe Massa's freak injury and Michael Schumacher's aborted return.

Italian Fisichella will fulfil a dream by representing Ferrari at their home Grand Prix in Monza.

Can Fisichella win first time out in a Ferrari? - Latest Formula One Betting

For the last season and a half he has been racing for Force India and helped them to their first championship points last weekend at Belgium after finishing second behind new Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.

Speaking to reporters, Force India chairman and team principal Dr Vijay 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."

Force India have moved to replace Fisichella with his former understudy and test driver Vitantonio Liuzzi and the fellow Italian will also make his debut at this weekends Italian GP.

Twenty-eight-year-old Liuzzi is in confident mood and said: "I really appreciate the opportunity Vijay (Mallya) has given me, particularly now Force India has a great car that's performing very well.

"I am confident I can carry on our progress. I'm very motivated, in good shape and hungry to get some more points on the board."

Championship leader and online betting favourite Jenson Button will be hoping to put last weeks first lap crash out to the back of his mind as he looks to get his title charge back on track.

The Englishman has a healthy 16 point lead over team-mate Rubens Barrichello but after winning six of the first seven races of the season, he has managed to pick up just 11 points in the previous five races without a podium finish.

Fortunately for the Brawn driver, his gap at the top has remained healthy with none of his rivals finding enough consistency to challenge.

Sebastian Vettel, while racing for Toro Rosso, won the Italian Grand Prix last year and a similar outcome would put the German closer to the currently beleaguered Button if this poor run of form continues.

Vettel is occupying third spot and with five championship remaining, Button will be looking to put Vettel and the rest of his rivals out of sight at the earliest opportunity.

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