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Domenicali bemoans Italian void

Stefano Domenicali: "I am very sad that, after so many years there will not be an Italian driver" © Getty Images

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• Stefano Domenicali

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Stefano Domenicali has said that he is "very sad" that Jarno Trulli has been replaced at Caterham, meaning there are no Italian drivers on the grid in 2012.

Trulli left Caterham today after Vitaly Petrov took his seat for this season, and with no other seats available at present Formula One will have no Italian drivers on the grid for the first time since 1969. Domenicali expressed his displeasure at the statistic and paid tribute to Trulli's abilities, saying that he hadn't had enough opportunities to show what he could do in a front-running car.

"I am very sad that, after so many years there will not be an Italian driver in the Formula 1 World Championship field," Domenicali told the official Ferrari website. "I say this on the sporting front and on a personal level when it comes to Jarno, who only on a few occasions has had a car capable of showing off his talents. So here, I wish him all the best for the future, both in racing and away from the track.

Domenicali added that he hoped Ferrari could change the situation itself after announcing that academy drivers Raffaele Marciello and Brandon Maisano will race in the F3 Euroseries and Italian F3 respectively.

"It's a difficult moment for our sport, partly for external reasons. For a few years now, Ferrari through its Driver Academy, has established a long term plan to create a new generation of young drivers, which works also in collaboration with the CSAI and I am pleased to see that just now, we can announce that two talented youngsters, Raffaele and Brandon, will be given a great opportunity to progress in the sport."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.