Burti Runs Tyre Testing for Ferrari at Fiorano

Brazilian Luciano Burti returned to Ferrari yesterday to assist the Italian team with their testing programme at their home track in Fiorano.

Burti was called in after race driver Rubens Barrichello was forced to remain in Brazil another day to undergo physiotherapy on his back, following pains he experienced after a massive crash in the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend.

Burti was driving at Fiorano yesterday at the wheel of a F2002. The Brazilian driver was tasked with a tyre test programme. He covered a total of 102 laps during the day (39 of them on the short version of the track), and his best lap was a 59.581.

"The program was to test only one day, and it will be difficult to give enough information to make a difference, but I did my best to help on the performance of the team for the next few races and hopefully to win the championship," Burti said.

"I'm very happy that the team wanted my help at an important part of the season like now, and this shows that Ferrari believes in my work. I would like to thank Jean Todt and all team members who supported this decision," he added.

Barrichello is testing today with Ferrari in Monza, and Burti will be replaced in Fiorano by Felipe Massa.