Italian driver Giovanni Lavaggi is going to be driving a Minardi for the rest of this year's Formula One season. He will be replacing the talented Giancarlo Fisichella who out paced the main driver for Minardi, Portuguese Pedro Lamy, every single time. Lavaggi is most likely not going to do the same. The 38 year old drove four races for the Lotus-Pacific team last year with results that would not impress a soul. The reason for the driver change is that Lavaggi offers a greater financial contribution to the team.
Giancarlo Minardi, owner of the team, said that both Fisichella as Marques will remain under contract and "sooner or later will certainly return to Formula One."
The TWR F1 team have Tarso Marques under contract to test new Bridgestone tyres. The first of the series have commenced at Magny-Cours today.
Marques has driven for the Minardi team this year at the Grand Prix of Brazil and Argentina.
**NOTE: Bridgestone news provided to you by Carlos Lafebre Franco from the Netherlands
Michael Schumacher used the new rear suspension and diffuser during the tests at Monza today. He performed a tyre test and worked on the set-up of the car. Schumacher came to a best of 1:26.08. The session was cut somewhat short due to an engine misfire problem.