AUGUST 14, 2000

Fisichella confirmed at Benetton

THE Benetton team has confirmed that Giancarlo Fisichella is to stay for a fourth season and that Alexander Wurz will, as expected, not be continuing next year.

THE Benetton team has confirmed that Giancarlo Fisichella is to stay for a fourth season and that Alexander Wurz will, as expected, not be continuing next year. The Austrian has been a big disappointment this year but Benetton team boss FlavioÊBriatore says that Wurz will see out the rest of the year. This is no guarantee that it will actually happen but the team has no real competitive alternative at the moment unless Mark Webber tests very well in the course of the next few weeks. If that happens it is possible that the Australian could be put into the seat for the last couple of races. There is no chance for Webber to drive for Benetton next year as the team will soon confirm that Jenson Button has been hired to be equal number one with Fisichella.

The decision to keep Fisichella will be a popular one with the engineers as it will provide continuity of development. In the longer term, however, there are still some doubts over Fisichella as he has been in a position to win races on several occasions and has thrown away victory. In the modern F1 world one can make one mistake but to repeat it is not a good idea.