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Liuzzi still confident he will be at Force India in 2011

Tonio Liuzzi: "I have a contract for Force India for 2011 so I'm pretty confident that it will stay the same" © Sutton Images

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• Drivers:
• Tonio Liuzzi
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• Adrian Sutil

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Tonio Liuzzi has reiterated that he is planning to stay with Force India in 2011 amid speculation he or team-mate Adrian Sutil could be replaced.

Liuzzi has had a tough first full season back in F1, with performance problems related to the chassis and several accidents that were not his fault. Throughout the season he has maintained that he has a contract with Force India for 2011 that he intends to honour, but the team has yet to announce its final line-up.

Speculation has ramped up in recent weeks over who it will pick, with reserve driver Paul di Resta tipped for a race seat and ex-Williams driver Nico Hulkenberg now linked to the team. However, Liuzzi insists he is not worrying about the situation.

"I have a contract for Force India for 2011 so I'm pretty confident that it will stay the same," he told ESPNF1 in his latest column. "We're just finishing the championship so we haven't spoken about the situation, but I see myself in Force India and from what I've heard they've also confirmed this was their intention. I feel okay."

When asked if he knew who his team-mate will be, Liuzzi responded: "No, at the moment no. I guess it will be Adrian [Sutil] but I still don't know."

He is currently in Abu Dhabi and is set to test the 2011 Pirelli tyres in this year's Force India on Saturday. He said he was looking forward to trying the new tyres and is expecting to have to adopt a different driving style to optimise their performance.

"I think they will change the handling of the car quite a bit because Bridgestone and Pirelli have quite different technology systems and quite a different philosophy for constructing tyres," he said. "I think there will be quite a big change in handling, but I'm looking forward to see exactly which way it goes.

"I'm kind of hoping the tyres do require a different style because it has always been one of my strengths to adapt to different cars and handling requirements. That's why it's so important to get this first taste of the tyre and understand which way to go with the balance of the car for 2011."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.