Force India releases Fisi, no 'financial settlement' involved

After four days of vehement denial, Force India on Thursday announced that its Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella is joining Ferrari with immediate effect, while also insisting that there was no financial settlement involved in his move.

Force India chairman Vijay Mallya said following extensive discussions over the past 24 hours, the outfit agreed to release Fisichella with “immediate effect” from his contract to join Ferrari for the remainder of 2009 season. “Giancarlo and his management team approached me yesterday with a proposal from Ferrari. For any Italian driver, a Ferrari race seat is a long-held dream and for Giancarlo it was no exception. No one should stand in his way.

“Furthermore the agreement will secure Giancarlo’s long-term future with Ferrari and it would be incorrect to jeopardise this, particularly when Giancarlo has made such a vital contribution to Force India,” he said. He said the team would soon name Fisichella’s replacement though test driver Tonio Liuzzi is tipped for the vacant slot.

Since Fisichella finished second in the Belgian Grand Prix, Formula One paddock was abuzz with reports of his move to Ferrari. But both the driver and Mallya himself had denied the reports, calling these ‘media rumours’. There were reports that Force India owed money to Ferrari for using their engine last season and Fisichella’s move would wipe out the debt but Mallya insisted there was no financial consideration involved.