News that Felipe Massa is unlikely to return to F1 before the end of the 2009 season is expected to see Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella confirmed as the Brazilian's replacement for the final five rounds within the coming days, as the team prepares for their home race in Monza. Although Force India has strongly denied rumours linking their driver to an imminent Ferrari switch, Manipe F1 understands that Ferrari was waiting until Massa was definitively ruled out for the remainder of 2009 before approaching the Italian.

Massa's current stand-in Luca Badoer has been considerably off the pace since his return in Valencia, and finished over 100 seconds behind his race-winning team-mate Kimi Räikkönen in Belgium at the weekend. With Ferrari and their fanatical fans the Tifosi unlikely to tolerate such poor pace, a change of driver is almost beyond doubt, while Fisichella's impressive drive to second in Belgium has put him in pole position for the coveted seat.

Should Fisichella move to Ferrari as expected for the final races of the season, Force India's test driver Vitantonio Liuzzi, widely tipped to have a 2010 race contract with the team, will most likely step in to replace his fellow countryman with immediate effect.

Speaking to online magazine GP Week, Liuzzi hoped that he would be racing in Monza in a fortnight. “For sure regarding the rumours I hope they are right,” he said. “I need to drive as soon as possible because I am dying without racing. There is a high chance that something could happen.

“For sure we cannot expect to be on the podium again in Monza but I think we can fight for points and that's the most important thing.”

GPWeek also reports that he is due to conduct a straightline test with the VJM02 prior to the Italian GP to gain more experience of the car, having never tested the car.