Luca Filippi to be announced as Ferrari tester for 08?

[Giuseppe F1]

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns19668.html

SEPTEMBER 19, 2007

Luca Filippi signs for Ferrari?

Our spies in Italy and telling us that 22-year-old Luca Filippi has been signed up as a Ferrari test driver for 2008. It is expected that he will also compete in the GP2 Series with Nicolas Todt's ART Grand Prix team and be managed by Todt Jr. It is anticipated that Luca Badoer will remain as the team's number one test driver.

Filippi's career to date has included victory in 2005 in the Italian Formula 3000 series, which led to his first F1 test with Minardi. He then went into GP2 with Fisichella Motor Sport but moved on quickly to join BCN have way through the 2006 season. His best result was still only a fourth place.

This year he has continued in GP2 with Super Nova Racing and he started the year well, winning the feature race in Bahrain. Although he has not won since he has placed well consistently and is now third behind the title contenders Timo Glock and Lucas de Grassi.

[jens]

Interesting. May Filippi really become the next Italian driver, who joins F1? His performances in GP2 haven't got much attention - maybe because although he has performed quite well, he hasn't directly shined.

As France hasn't had a driver recently in F1, then I have felt that Italy might become another 'big' country without a competitor in F1. JT and GF are getting 'old', VL might not get another contract and in all kinds of lower series besides Filippi only Pantano has been remarkable, but his comeback looks unlikely as he already has got a chance.

[OmarF1]

Yes, a true shame that Italy has not a great driver at the moment and it has been this way for a long time now, the last Italian champion dates back to the 50's damn!, maybe it is the excess of germans in F1, too many of them, almost all of them talented enough to be in F1, still i want Glock to get a shot in F1, but please send Ralf to Nascar.

[ChrisS]

Ferrari gets an Italian and shows they are interested in promoting young domestic talent and Todt Sr. helps out his son's team. a smart move overall.

Is Filippi the next Italian champion? He could make it in F1 but championship material he is not. Then again no-one rated Mass when Nicolas Todt first brought him in F1 and now he is a championship contender.

[FIA]

I knew It