Badoer Rejected Offers to Leave Ferrari

Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer received offers to move to other Formula One teams but says he turned them down because of the thrill of driving the famous red cars.

"I had offers, some of them good offers, from teams of a medium to good standard," Badoer said on Wednesday at a Ferrari media day in this ski resort in the Italian Dolomites.

"But the options I had were never enticing enough to make me leave Ferrari. I like racing, I like driving Forumla One cars and here I have the chance to drive a Ferrari -- the best."

"I'd like to compete in grands prix, that's obvious, but you also have to make choices. Ferrari is Ferrari -- I would leave them only for a top team."

Badoer has the dubious distinction of going 50 races, more than any other driver in the sport, without winning a point.

He raced for Lola in 1993, Forti in 1996 and Minardi in 1995 and 1999 without ever finishing in the top six.

He came within a couple of laps of finishing fourth at the European Grand Prix at Germany's Nuerburgring in September 1999 before his gearbox failed.

Badoer was devastated by his bad luck and broke down in tears on his car.

He looked set for his big chance at Ferrari when Michael Schumacher was sidelined from the 1999 championship after breaking his leg at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

But Ferrari chose instead to draft in former Lotus, Tyrrell and Arrows driver Mika Salo instead after the Finn had already competed in three races that season as a stand-in for BAR.

Badoer clocked up between 15,000 and 20,000 kilometres in testing last year.

"It's the kind of work that maybe you don't see but it's fundamental to the team," he said, adding that he would be testing at Jerez and Barcelona in Spain this month.

"I know the Ferrari as well as the two team drivers... During the races I'm always there with Michael and Rubens.

"I'm like their Guardian Angel."