Fisichella moves a little closer to Force India

Giancarlo Fisichella claims he is very interested in a race driver position with the Force India team in 2008. He collaborated for the first time with this team in Jerez, Spain as part of the last private tests of the year.

Although Fisichella has not yet been officially thanked by Renault, this week he is showing that he is exploring all possible options to stay in F1 by participating in tests with the Indian team.

And with the support of Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya, the team owner, the Italian driver believes he has a good chance of being part of Force India next season.

« My motivation and my love for this sport encourage me to stay a little longer in the world of F1 as a racing driver. I think I can still give a lot during the races, » he declared.

« Speaking of Force India, the project that was shown to me is very interesting, there will be much more money available compared to last year. There are therefore a number of things that make me believe that if I stay with Force India in 2008, I could bring my experience to help lift the team. »

« Of course, we do not dream of winning races or fights with big teams, but I think we will be able to achieve some interesting results when circumstances are on our side, » continued the Italian.

Sutil has already been confirmed as a race driver for 2008, leaving a second seat that Fisichella must defend against Christian Klien, Vitantonio Liuzzi, or Ralf Schumacher. The latest even crazier rumors coming from Jerez suggest that only Sutil would be present as a race driver next year for Force India.

Fisichella insists that he is not yet 100% sure of being excluded from the Renault team.

« Let’s say it’s open, there’s no final decision. I wanted to test with another team to allow me to rebound in case of separation with Renault. But it could still happen that Renault calls me back in a few days, just as it could happen that they thank me for these many years of loyalty, » he said.

« For now, it’s not on my mind, as I’m focused on testing with Force India where I need to do my best. »

And with the ban on traction control set to come into effect in 2008, Fisichella believes that his talent can once again make the difference compared to other drivers.

« I think the new rules without anti-skid can allow me to make a difference. Maybe someone made a mistake, maybe some teams have other ideas and other plans for other drivers, but I am convinced that I can hold my own in F1, » concluded Fisichella.