Badoer not worried about losing Ferrari seat

Luca Badoer insists the Ferrari cockpit usually occupied by Felipe Massa will be his until the Brazilian recovers from his injuries.

Test driver Badoer, 38 - selected by Ferrari to replace Massa after preferred substitute Michael Schumacher pulled out - denied speculation that he was given the ride only until the Italian team finds a faster alternative.

He told the Italian newspaper La Stampa that his role in Massa's car number 3 is not for a specific number of races.

"There is no fixed date," Badoer said. "I will stop when Massa is in a position to come back, and when that happens I will be very happy for Felipe.

"But until then the Ferrari is mine, and nobody else's," said Badoer, who in the article compared his opportunity to race for F1's most famous team to winning the lottery.

It has not been free from criticism, however, with 60-year-old Niki Lauda saying the Maranello bosses might as well have taken him out of retirement to replace Massa.

"That doesn't bother me. Lauda speaks like that about everyone," Badoer said.