Vitantonio Liuzzi thinks his place at Force India is secure for next season, despite speculation suggesting that he will have to move aside for either Nico Hulkenberg or Paul di Resta.
The Italian already has a contract in place with the team for 2011, but there has been much talk in recent weeks that the squad wants to replace him with someone else for next year. The stories were fueled by the fact Force India had not lodged Liuzzi as one of its drivers on the entry list for next year. However, Liuzzi told Autosprint that he had not been told anything other than he was racing for Force India, and that he was currently preparing as normal for the next season.
"Each time a driver is said to interest Force India, looks like it's always me the one who has to move over," he said. "This is obviously just what part of the media says, because on my part I'm very calm.
"In the team no one has told me anything about it, I have a contract for next year, and I'm already at work with that in mind. I feel safe, not just with the contract I have in my hands, but also with the fine relationship I have with the team.
"I don't need to talk to the team about this: the situation is clear, the rest is just speculations. The team has told me it can't stop the media, and it has already denied those rumors at the Suzuka press conference. The fact that my name is not on the FIA list matters little, as other drivers who have already signed are missing too. Things are more than clear between me and Force India."
Liuzzi said his 2010 season had been disappointing - but there were many factors behind the form, including trouble with his chassis, with the F-duct and then the team's overall development potential.
"The team knows what has happened, that's why there are no problems," he said. "Should the team take decisions that exclude me, then those decisions wouldn't be down to a problem with my on-track speed. The team has never complained to me about it.
"If we look at all preseason tests, when we ran by taking turns on the same car, I was always quicker or as quick as [Adrian] Sutil. Since the start of the season, with two different chassis, our performances have changed. It's all clear in the telemetry."