Italy's Badoer is the lucky one

MILAN: Italy's Luca Badoer will drive for Ferrari at this month's European Grand Prix in Valencia after Michael Schumacher called off a much-anticipated comeback.

Badoer, 38, is a Ferrari test driver whose name was first floated by Italian media after Felipe Massa's crash took him off the race circuit. He joined Scuderia Ferrari as a test driver in 1998. Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said the team gave Badoer "the chance to race for the Scuderia after he has put in so many years of hard work as a test driver".

Badoer began racing F3 cars in 1990. He marked his first season with a win at Vallelunga, Italy, and in his second season in 1991 he won four races, finishing fourth out of 50 competitors in the championship, according to the Ferrari website.