Ferrari turn to Badoer

Ferrari have turned to test driver Luca Badoer to fill the void left by Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa.

Test driver to step in after Schumi pulls out

Ferrari have turned to test driver Luca Badoer to fill the void left by Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa. The Scuderia have been rocked by news that seven-time world champion Schumacher will now not be able to race for them because of a long-standing neck injury. The legendary German driver had been set to replace Massa, who has been sidelined after suffering serious head injuries at the Hungarian GP. However he announced on Tuesday that he would now not be able to return to action after failing to overcome a neck injury. Ferrari have now asked the 38-year-old Badoer to fill in for the rest of the season. "Since I've been a child I always wanted to race for Ferrari and now I've got the possibility to make this desire come true," he told Ferrari's website. "I'm really sorry for Michael, because I know how much he wanted to return. I'm saying that as his friend and his fan." Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo added: "In agreement with Stefano Domenicali, we have therefore decided to give Luca Badoer the chance to race for the Scuderia after he has put in so many years of hard work as a test driver." Badoer made 48 grand prix starts between 1993-99 having previously won the Formula 3000 title and raced in the Italian F3 Championship.