Hill And Badoer In To End.

Both Damon Hill and Luca Badoer will see out the 1999 season, despite rumours that they may be replaced before the Japanese Grand Prix.


Hill's future has been under scrutiny for much of the season, but he was still at the centre of a three-way driver swap plan at the European Grand Prix two weekends ago. However, plans to move 2000 Jordan pilot Jarno Trulli to Jordan, and replace him at Prost with its new signing Nick Heidfeld, have fallen through, leaving Hill and the Italian to see out the season at their respective teams.


Badoer, meanwhile, was thought to be under threat for the Suzuka race from Minardi test driver Gaston Mazzacane. Although the Argentine has hardly driven the Minardi this season, and has struggled in other categories, he was rumoured to have raised enough finance to oust his Italian team-mate for the year's last event. Mazzacane apparently had to lap quickly in a test held last week, but was some 8/10ths of a second slower than third Minardi driver Marc Gene, and will not appear in Japan.