Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto says the team is currently investigating the possibility of entering the NTT IndyCar Series, potentially as early as 2022.
Mario Andretti had previously called on the Scuderia to consider entering the premier open-wheel series in the United States.
In an interview with SkySport Italia, Binotto confirmed that the team is evaluating alternative programs, including IndyCar and sportscar racing.
“Ferrari feels a lot of social responsibility towards its employees, and we want to be sure that for each of them there will be a workspace in the future.
“For this reason we have started to evaluate alternative programs, and I confirm that we are looking at IndyCar, which is currently a very different category from ours [F1] but with a change of regulation scheduled in 2022 [introduction of hybrid engines]. We also observe the world of endurance racing and other series. We will try to make the best choice “.
“In recent weeks there has been a lot of discussion about the downsizing of the budget available for Formula 1 teams,” concluded Binotto, “and a conclusion has now been reached. The limit of $175 million that had been defined and voted [in 2019] will be lowered to $145m. At Ferrari we were structuring ourselves based on the budget approved last year, and the further reduction represents an important challenge that will inevitably lead to review staff, structure and organization.”
Ferrari had previously flirted with a potential IndyCar entry with the 637 project, which was created after an ongoing dispute between Enzo Ferrari and the FIA.