Thursday February 15th, 2001

Minardi hopeful Gianni Morbidelli will learn if he has secured a drive with the team next season in a phone call on Friday.

He was called to a meeting with the team last week, but has not been in contact since, and confirmed that on Friday is the day he will find out his fate.

"I had a one-hour meeting with Paul Stoddart, Giancarlo Minardi, and Rupert Mainwaring, and on Friday they must give me an answer," said Morbidelli. "But right now I know nothing."

Minardi contacted the driver despite the fact he cannot provide any sponsorship to the team, and already has a contract to drive for BMW in the European Super Touring Car Championship this year.

Morbidelli said that he would be ecstatic if he did receive the call from the team: "If they call me and they say do you want to race, it would be like a dream. I would be a very happy guy.

"I can sleep during the night," he added, "but if they call me on Friday I will make a party and come back into Formula One."

Morbidelli has driven in six seasons of Formula One, including a race for Ferrari in 1991 when he replaced Alain Prost. He left the series when he broke his arm in a testing accident in 1997, but could now be given a Formula One lifeline.

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