Badoer Happy after Five Years at Ferrari

Italian Luca Badoer says he is a happy man at Ferrari after five years as a test driver, but he admits he misses the excitement of competing to win races.

28-year old Badoer competed with the BMS, Minardi and Forti teams before joining World Champions Ferrari at the start of the 1998 season. The Italian took part in 56 Grands Prix but was unable to score a single point due to the poor performance of the cars he drove.

But as he starts his fifth year of work at the Maranello-based squad, Badoer says he is happy after having contributed to three consecutive Constructors' Championships in the last three seasons.

"I did 50 Grands Prix in F1, but I never drove for a competitive team that could give me the chance to win or score points," Badoer said today at Ferrari's winter retreat. "So, the competition side of F1 is not something I miss.

"However, I do miss the excitement of racing to win. When I was competing in F3000, I was fighting for victory. If you are in F1, but not driving for Ferrari, McLaren or Williams, you have virtually no chance of winning, unless there are unusual circumstances.

"So, all in all, I am very happy with what I am doing at Ferrari. Maybe I wouldn't like the job quite so much if I was with another team. So, I am happy here."

Badoer will work this year alongside Brazilian Luciano Burti, who joined the team as the second test driver after competing for the Jaguar and Prost teams in his debut year in Formula One.