Trulli set to turn key on driver market

Trulli has a contract with Benetton team boss Flavio Briatore and has been on loan to Jordan for the past two seasons. However, the decision as to whether the Italian will stay put, or move across to the Renault-owned team to replace fellow countryman Fisichella is to be made by August 15.

If Benetton decides to hold on to Fisichella for another year, he is bound by contract to stay put. However the Italian is thought to have other options should Trulli take his seat.

Fisichella has been linked with a straight swap deal that would see him return to Jordan in place of Trulli - the Italian spent a year with the Silverstone-based team in 1997. Alternatively, the 28-year-old is also believed to have been in talks with the Arrows boss Tom Walkinshaw, who cites Trulli as the key to who goes where.

"We'll have to wait and see what happens for the latter half of this year," said Walkinshaw. "It's too early to say. We'll have to see what happens with Trulli, because that will trigger the driver merry-go-round this year. We'll see what the fallout is. I want the best two drivers I can get my hands on for next year."

Team boss Eddie Jordan, who signed Jean Alesi in place of the sacked Heinz-Harald Frentzen earlier this week, is known to want to keep hold of Trulli for next year, but is still in the dark as to whether the 27-year-old will stay.

"We don't have that at the moment," he said when asked if he had any news on whether Trulli was staying on. "Let's not pre-empt it."

Despite various options, insiders suggest that given the choice, Fisichella would prefer to stay where he is rather than allow someone else to benefit from a difficult year spent at Benetton struggling with a new Renault engine.

"I would say he is very happy to stay where he is," said a source close to Fisichella. "It would be silly to do 95 percent of a job and then let someone else come and take the benefits. I would say that there is no rush because he is a well-valued driver, but where he goes next could be the most important move of his career."