Marc Gene has signed a new contract to stay as a test driver for another year at Ferrari in 2007, according to reports.

But, citing ’sources’, sport.es claimed on Friday that the Maranello based team may not make an official announcement to confirm the news, despite 32-year-old Gene only signing a single year renewal prior to the 2006 season.

Long time Ferrari tester Luca Badoer will also stay next year, the reports said, after the test driver decision was delayed in consideration of the 30,000km test limit in 2007.

Gene said that Ferrari ‘has not decided’ if it will deploy a third driver on the Fridays of Grand Prix next year.

2007 will be Gene’s third season at Ferrari, after switching from a similar role at Williams at the end of 2004.

“I know the team and its people well,” Gene was quoted as saying, “and I am sure that we will have the potential to win the championship in 2007.”

Gene said developing cars for Kimi Raikkonen, after working with Michael Schumacher, will be ‘different’.

He added: “It has been a real privilege to be able to work at (Schumacher’s) side in the last two years, but on the other hand I will be able to work with two young, ambitious and very fast drivers from now on.”

[GMM]