Date:19/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/19/stories/2008021953881800.htm

Sport - Racing : Motor

Liuzzi eyes race seat at Force India

New Delhi: Vitantonio Liuzzi has no illusions about his job as Force India’s test driver but the Italian thinks he can impress his employers enough to win a race seat at the end of the season.

Liuzzi reckons his association with the Vijay Mallaya-owned F1 team is a long-term project and a race seat with the side in the future would be a natural culmination of the process.

“Definitely, my big objective is to be back racing in F1 in 2009. I am putting a lot of effort into that and I feel positive with Force India,” he said.

“They are giving me a lot of chances and a lot of mileage, and we are (taking) big steps forward together. So that makes me feel positive,” Liuzzi told Autosport magazine. “I have a lot of positive feelings and I want to give the maximum this year to try and improve the car, because I think 2009 is a time when the team will be able to make a big step forward,” Liuzzi said. — PTI