(ANSA) - Rome, January 10 - Italy's
Giancarlo Fisichella will drive for the new Force India team in this year's
Formula 1 championships, it was announced on Thursday.
Fisichella had risked being without a drive for 2008
when Renault sacked him in December after three years in order to make room for
its prodigal son Fernando Alonso, who returned to the team with which he won the
2005 and 2006 titles after an unhappy year with Renault.
The Roman driver, who turns 35 on Monday, was chosen
for the last remaining Formula 1 seat over Christian Klein, Vitantonio Liuzzi
and Ralf Schumacher.
Observers believe Fisichella was tapped for his
greater experience in Formula 1 which over the last 11 years has seen him pick
up three victories, three pole positions, 18 podium finishes and 267 career
points from 194 race starts.
Force India's other driver will be Adrian Sutil, who
stayed on after the Spyker team was bought at the end of last season by Indian
businessman Vijay Mallya.
He did this by entering into a partnership with
Skyker co-owner and Michiel Mol for 88 million euros.
