"They must not be more relevant than Ferrari"- The Prancing Horse 'not afraid' of Porsche and Audi's possible entry in F1

Mattia Binotto looks on from the pitlane during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 17, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto confessed that the Scuderia is “not afraid” of Porsche and Audi’s expected arrival into F1 in the coming years. Admitting that while he is happy to see new car manufacturers enter the sport, they must not be "more relevant than Ferrari". Ferrari are the most successful team in the sport, with the brand name almost synonymous with F1. The Italian outfit enjoys the prestige of being the only team to have raced in the sport in every single season, and would certainly not want to lose the same under any circumstances.

As reported by PlanetF1, speaking about the entry of Porche and Audi into the world of F1, the Italian said:

“We are not afraid. Ferrari have been there (in F1) right from the start. I think we know what’s good for the future of Formula 1. Our voice is an important voice. The newcomers are welcome, but they must not be more relevant than Ferrari. Why is it taking so long? Because we are negotiating the future of our business. It’s about the powertrain between 2026 and 2030 and we have to take into account where the auto industry is heading. It’s right to take time to arrive at the best result, or let’s say the best compromise. In the end, it will always be a compromise.”

“There was a framework agreement that had already been voted on in the World Council. This framework agreement then had to be cast into a set of regulations. In the meantime, there was a change in the office of the FIA President, which also cost more time. It would not have served anyone’s interests if we had made the wrong decisions hastily.”

It was announced in May earlier this year that the two brands were seriously interested to join F1. More recent reports suggest that Audi are set to take over 75% stake of the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 team. Red Bull and Porche on the other hand, are joining hands, with the German manufacturer reportedly set to buy 50% of the Milton Keynes-based team.

Charles Leclerc admits last few years have been "very difficult" for Ferrari

Charles Leclerc, who was in contention for his maiden world championship title earlier this year, confessed that he is not too pressurized by the fact that Scuderia has not won a title since 2008.

In a media interaction, Monegasque spoke about the struggles of the last few years:

"I mean, I don't think about this. Even though Ferrari remains Ferrari of 2000, the team is very different, and we are [in] a different place now. The last few years have been very difficult for us."

"We did an incredible step from last year to this year to be fighting for wins and obviously, the goal remains to be World Champion. It still remains the same goal for me, even though that now is going to be more difficult. But it doesn't add pressure that it has been so many years, and we haven't won."

Despite having arguably the fastest car on the grid, the Prancing Horse continues to struggle in the 2022 season with reliability issues and strategic errors.