JANUARY 27, 1997

Morbidelli is Ferrari's tester

FERRARI has confirmed that 29-year-old Italian racer Gianni Morbidelli will be its test driver in 1997. Morbidelli had been close to a deal to race for Sauber but lost out when Ferrari insisted that if Sauber wanted to use its 1996 engines, the Swiss would have to sign Nicola Larini, Maranello's test driver since 1992.

Morbidelli tested for Ferrari in 1990 and 1991 and spent last year as Jordan's test driver, having been unable to find a budget to continue racing with Arrows. Gianni has competed in 60 GPs, including one for Ferrari when he replaced Alain Prost after the Frenchman was fired by the team at the end of 1991.