Badoer to race until Massa returns

The 38-year-old Italian, who last raced in Formula 1 in the 1999 Japanese Grand Prix and makes his return to the sport in this weekend's race at Valencia, was also confirmed in the seat by a Ferrari spokesman.

Badoer said in the European GP press conference on Thursday that knowing he had more than one chance to race for Ferrari had taken some of the pressure off him this weekend.

"If I had only Valencia, only one chance, I would be very worried, and I would try to do everything, maybe with a lot of pressure and maybe with a lot of mistakes - but that's not the case because until Felipe comes back, the car is mine," he said. "So I have some time in which to improve, to develop the situation."

Badoer, who was called up to replace Michael Schumacher after the seven-time world champion was forced to cancel his comeback because of a niggling neck injury, added that he felt calm ahead of his F1 return.

"My last race was 10 years ago more or less but I did in these 10 years close to 150,000kms with F1," he said.

"I am used to doing two races in one day because of the tests, sometimes we did two races in a day, so it is not that really I am worried for this aspect of the situation.

"I am used to the race as before I did a lot of races. If you think for somebody who had never raced maybe it is a problem but I know what it was in the past, so I have an idea.

"I am in a better position than somebody who didn't have a race, so at the moment I am very calm, very quiet."

Badoer did admit however that he was excited to finally be living out a boyhood fantasy: "Yeah, in a way I am very excited as this is my dream.

"To drive for Ferrari in F1 was for all my life being simply a dream," he said. "Now I can have it and I am the happiest driver in the world."