Aug.31 (GMM) An official of the Force India team on Monday said the team expects Ferrari to make an imminent move to sign Giancarlo Fisichella for the Italian grand prix and beyond.
The team's Italian driver Fisichella, 36, and his manager Enrico Zanarini denied at Spa last weekend that Ferrari is already interested in him as a substitute for the struggling Luca Badoer.But Force India commercial director Ian Phillips told British radio Five Live on Monday morning: "We do expect a move will probably be made in the next 24 hours or so."Nobody's asked us yet but I think it's pretty likely that somebody will make a phone call to (team boss) Vijay Mallya over the next 24 hours or so asking if we would release him to Ferrari," he added.It has been suggested that the move would involve minimally a transfer fee, or the subsidy of reported debts dating back to Force India's Ferrari engine deal that ended prematurely last year."I don't think they (Force India) have really got any options (except to release Fisichella)," Phillips added.Badoer, however, is pleading for one more chance, arguing that he could drive Monza with his "eyes closed"."If they're going to replace me it should be after Monza," the Italian is quoted as saying on Monday by the German news agency SID."If I would disappoint them (Ferrari) at Monza, I would be the first to say I should step aside," Badoer added.
