Felipe Massa's replacement holds the dubious record of the most grand prix starts without scoring a point.
All you need to know about Felipe Massa's replacement at Ferrari
Luca Badoer holds the dubious record of having the most grand prix starts without scoring a single point but that could all change when he replaces Felipe Massa at the European Grand Prix...
1 Now 38 years old, Badoer made his F1 debut back in 1993 with Scuderia Italia, the first of four Italian teams he would race for. Minardi, Forti Corse and now Ferrari are the other three.
2 The Italian holds the rather dubious record of being the driver who has competed in the most grands prix - 48 - without scoring a single world championship point. His best finish was a seventh place in the 1993 San Marino Grand Prix back in the days when only the top six would claim points.
3 The closest he ever came to scoring points was at the 1999 European Grand Prix when he was lying in 4th place with only 13 laps remaining at the Nurburgring. Sadly, the gearbox on his Minardi gave up on him and he was famously caught by television cameras weeping next to his stricken car by the side of the track.
4 Badoer has failed to qualify for a grand prix on six occasions: at the European and Monaco grands prix in 1993, as well as the Australian, European, Spanish and British grands prix in 1996.
5 He first joined Ferrari in 1997 as a test driver, which means he is officially their longest-serving driver in the role. He holds the distinction of completing more laps in a Ferrari car than any other Italian driver.
6 He almost raced for Ferrari in 1999, mid-way through his one-year stint with Minardi, as the Scuderia sought a replacement for Michael Schumacher after he suffered a broken leg in the British Grand Prix. The team, though, opted for Mika Salo instead.
7 Ten years on and Badoer is finally getting his chance to race for Ferrari - once again because one of their regular drivers, Felipe Massa, is injured.
8 The last time Ferrari had an Italian driver was in 1994 when Nicola Larini competed for the Scuderia in the Pacific and San Marino grands prix. Ferrari are rumoured to have an unwritten policy against hiring Italians as the pressure put on the drivers in their home country is too great.
9 When he lines up on the grid at the European Grand Prix, Badoer will officially become the oldest driver in this year's World Championship as he's one year, four months and two days older than Rubens Barrichello.
10 Badoer was Ferrari's second choice to replace Massa as they'd earlier asked Michael Schumacher. A neck injury, though, put an end to the German's return.
Michelle Foster
