Fisichella says Ferrari chance would be a dream

By Alan Baldwin

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (Reuters) - Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella rated his chances of staying in Formula One next season as 50-50 on Thursday and said he would love to race for Ferrari this year should the opportunity arise.

Fellow Italian Luca Badoer replaced injured Brazilian Felipe Massa at Valencia last weekend but qualified last and finished a disappointing 17th.

The 38-year-old test driver needs to raise his game in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix if he is to retain the seat for Ferrari's home race at Monza next month.

Fisichella, 36, is the last Italian driver to have won a race (with Renault in 2006) and has featured high on the media's lists of potential replacements if Badoer is cast aside.

"There is quite a lot of speculation on that and a lot of rumour and I have seen my name everywhere on the top of the list. But Ferrari didn't call me, so for me it's nothing," Fisichella told reporters at Spa.

"If they had called me I could say something more but I have no contact with them. I'm a Force India driver, I just concentrate on that.

"It's a dream for all the drivers and especially for me, as an Italian driver, I am let's say at the end of my career, so it's a very good opportunity. It would be nice," added Fisichella.

The Roman has long yearned to drive for Ferrari, a team that until Badoer came along had not had an Italian driver since Nicola Larini in 1994.