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What happened to Ferrari's 'worst-ever driver' who drove just twice in F1 before being brutally axed

Home> F1

Published 15:35 6 Jun 2025 GMT+1

What happened to Ferrari's 'worst-ever driver' who drove just twice in F1 before being brutally axed

The ex-Formula 1 driver raced for Ferrari during the 2009 season.

Marcus Chan

Marcus Chan

A former Ferrari racer who took part in two Formula 1 Grands Prix has been labelled as the team's 'worst-ever' driver.

Over the years, some of F1's very best drivers have had the chance to put on Ferrari's famous red race suits.

Stars such as Kimi Raikkonen, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel all had a spell driving for the Scuderia.

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The iconic red cars currently belong to Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

While driving for Ferrari is often considered a dream come true, Luca Badoer's stint with the team will forever be remembered as a nightmare.

Back in 2009, 38-year-old Badoer, who last raced in F1 back in 1999 for Minardi, was a test driver for Ferrari.

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However, the Italian was called upon after Felipe Massa was hit on the head by a spring from Rubens Barrichello's Brawn during qualifying in Hungary.

Schumacher was originally touted as the replacement for Massa but the German's neck injury meant he was not available for action.

As a result, Badoer was drafted in to drive the F60 at the European Grand Prix in Valencia.

However, F1 at the time was already a far cry from what Badoer was used to.

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The Italian qualified in last place for the race in Valencia, some 2.6 seconds behind teammate Raikkonen in Q1.

Badoer ended up finishing in 17th place, with Williams-Toyota man Kazuki Nakajima the only driver behind him.

Luca Badoer raced for Ferrari back in 2009. Image: Getty
Luca Badoer raced for Ferrari back in 2009. Image: Getty

In the next race, which was held in Spa, Belgium, Badoer's fortunes did not change as he again qualified in last place, 1.4 seconds off Raikkonen in Q1.

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While the Finn ended up winning the race, Badoer finished last in 14th place.

As a result, Ferrari took action and replaced Badoer with Giancarlo Fisichella ahead of the next race, which was the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

Since his two-race spell with Ferrari, Badoer has often been labelled as the team's worst-ever driver.

He is also the holder of another unwanted record, as the driver who has started the most Grands Prix (50) without scoring a single point.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

Topics: Formula 1, Ferrari

Marcus Chan
Marcus Chan

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