“I Suggest Binotto Comes” – Former F1 Champion Tempts Ferrari to IndyCar

Last year, McLaren announced its return to IndyCar racing, so some have wondered if the likes of Ferrari will join them. In fact, former F1 champion Mario Andretti insisted that the Italian marquee consider entering the NTT Indycar Series. Adding more fuel to the fire was team principal Mattia Binotto, who admitted that Ferrari may consider joining another racing series.

According to the Ferrari boss, the Maranello outfit may deploy their “racing DNA” away from Formula 1. However, this could only be possible if the budget cap fell below the proposed $145m.

“Having Ferrari would be incredible,” Andretti told Gazzetta dello Sport. “Not only as an engine supplier, but also as a chassis builder. It is clear that the rules should be changed, but I would like an all-Italian Dallara vs. Ferrari battle. The Cavallino would increase interest in the championship, but there is an obstacle in the rules. I suggest Binotto comes and proposes an idea to Roger Penske.”

Will Ferrari actually head down the IndyCar route?

As is the general nature of the rumour mill, Binotto’s comments caused a massive stir. This led to speculation that Ferrari may pull out of F1 if they were unhappy with its trajectory. However, the team later clarified that they are still committed to F1, thought they are open to running other racing projects simultaneously.

A statement read: “He never mentioned about Scuderia Ferrari quitting F1. On the contrary, he said that we would not want to be put in a position of having to look at further options, besides continuing racing in F1, for deploying our racing DNA, in case the budget cap would be even more drastically reduced, putting at risk hundreds of workplaces.”

As per Motorsport.com, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles were close to entering IndyCar as an engine manufacturer. This was prior to the former CEO Sergio Marchionne’s passing in 2018.