Ferrari may have to take into consideration the idea of exploring other categories in order to keep all its personnel on the payroll. And the ideal for the ‘Cavallino’ would be WEC or IndyCar
Former Ferrari driver Mario Andretti told Andrea Cremonessi of La Gazzetta dello Sport that “it would be great if Ferrari made it to Indycar” and invited the Cavallino to speak urgently with Roger Penske, the current owner of Indycar, to discuss this possibility.
Ferrari could be studying alternatives to keep all the staff of the GES, the Gestione Sportiva ‘alive’, once the ‘budget ceiling’ comes into force, which would imply having to fire very valid people with the danger that they could go to rival teams.
Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Mattia Binotto faces a drastic budget reduction from the current 450 million to around 300, that is, the 145 of the ‘budget ceiling’ plus the cost of the items that are not part of it – pilots salary, the three highest salaries staff, marketing, travel … – and with the prospect of having to face further reductions of up to 130 million.
Between 1,200 and 1,400 people work in the GES – although some in the GT development programs, which would not be affected – and Binotto estimates that with the budget ceiling, it should do without at least 100 people in the first phase.
Mattia Binotto said at the time that Ferrari would seek alternatives if F1 jeopardized its DNA. A few words that were seen as a threat to leave F1, which the Cavallino has already done more than once, and which he later clarified in a statement, saying that the alternatives would be to enter another category and keep the GES fully operational. In other words, that the “surplus” of the budget would be dedicated to being present in another category. A little like McLaren is doing with the Indycar.
It is clear that the ideal for the Cavallino is reduced to WEC and Indycar, although Formula E if it is decided by the total electrification of some hypercar or the Dakar, coinciding with the launch of the Purosangue, could be a ‘plan B’.
Mario Andretti has said that “for the moment the obstacle is the regulation” and has urged Ferrari to “contact Roger Penske so that the rules change in the sense that they make their participation viable.” Penske is a smart businessman, with his own teams at IndyCar, IMSA and Nascar, but also in the past he was a client of Ferrari; his team’s 512, in Sunoco blue, was once as fast or faster than the official Maranello cars.
The 500 Miles is a pending subject for Ferrari. He only took part with his own car in 1952 with Alberto Ascari and it was a fiasco, the Ferrari 375 was not competitive. In 1985-86, in conflict with the FIA, he threatened to go to the CART and made a car and an engine, but the FIA acceded to the requests of Ferrari and Giovanni Agnelli personally dismissed the American adventure; That engine was the basis of the Alfa Romeo engine that later ran at Indy.
Recall that currently there is only one chassis approved for the category, made in Italy by Dallara, that aerodynamics is also unique for everyone – the modifications allowed to ‘motorists’ for their customers are over – and you can only choose between engines Honda and Chevrolet, although the Indycar is looking for a third biker.
The fact that McLaren and Fernando Alonso failed miserably last year is not an obstacle. In fact, a year earlier they managed to take part in the race and be in the battle for victory. “You could sign a couple of specialists, because with computers today there are no secrets. You could run with your own team and at the same time sell cars to other teams,” said Andretti, for whom the scenario of seeing a second chassis in the competition would be Welcome – although then it is very likely that McLaren also wanted his – and in any case there would always be the possibility of assuming the exclusive role of motorcyclist.
It goes without doubt that Mario believes Andretti Autosport, his son’s team, would be very interested. Mario has raced with Scuderia Ferrari and, as a good Italian or Italian American, he has the Maranello team at his heart.
Of course, the fact that WEC and IMSA have unified rules also makes this second opportunity attractive. And for the Andretti team, which is present in other fields as well as the IndyCar, it would not be a crazy topic to represent the reds or be their clients at the IMSA, leaving WEC for the brand’s official team.
Leave a Reply