Monfardini to Replace Vilander
Ferdinando Monfardini will race for Coloni Motorsport in the final two rounds of the 2005 GP2 series at Bahrain as a replacement for Toni Vilander, who will return to Italy for the final round of the Italian Formula 3000 series in Misano
Vilander is currently just three points off second place in the championship, and had always planned to return to the series to take the vice-champion title at the Misano round, which runs on the same weekend as the Bahrain races, since being given his GP2 debut in Monza.
Although sad to see the Finn go, Coloni are delighted to be able to provide a seat for experienced GP2 driver Monfardini, whose knowledge and skills will be vital in the final push for points in the championship.
At the announcement of the deal, team principal Paolo Coloni noted: "I am really pleased to be able to give Ferdinando the opportunity to show the talents he has gained over the year. You only have to look at his last race weekend in Monza to see how fast he is, and how much he will help the team.
"I must always say a big thank you to Toni, who did a fantastic job in his four races with our team. He was immediately fast in the car, and I think he learnt a lot in his time with us. I don't think it will be long before we see him in a GP2 car again."
Monfardini stated: "I want to thank everyone at Coloni Motorsport for giving me this opportunity. After everything that happened recently I am really happy to be back in the car, and I hope that I can show everyone what I am capable of in Bahrain. I'm really looking forward to it. "
The final rounds of the GP2 series for 2005 will be held on the 29th and 30th of September, at the Bahrain International Circuit.
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