Ferrari slams quality of new teams

Shortly prior to finding out that it had lost its legal bid to prevent the FIA introducing a £40 million voluntary budget cap in F1 for next year, Ferrari vented its frustration at the teams hoping to make the step up to motor racing's premier category.

As AUTOSPORT revealed earlier today, the court case that took place in Paris yesterday revealed the list of teams serious about joining F1 was Wirth Research, Lola, USF1, Epsilon Euskadi, RML, Formtech, Campos and iSport.

These teams, and the FIA, claimed that if Ferrari's legal bid was successful and the entry deadline for 2010 was delayed by an injunction, then they would have little chance of getting things in place to be ready to race next year.

Ferrari has said it is shocked at the entries - and does not believe they are the kind of teams that will enhance F1's image.

"They couldn't almost believe their eyes, the men and women working at Ferrari, when they read the papers this morning and found the names of the teams, declaring that they have the intention to race in Formula 1 in the next year," said a statement issued on Ferrari's website.

"Looking at the list, which leaked yesterday from Paris, you can't find a very famous name, one of those one has to spend 400 Euros per person for a place on the grandstand at a GP (plus the expenses for the journey and the stay) [to see]."

The statement added: "Can a world championship with teams like them - with due respect - have the same value as today's Formula 1, where Ferrari, the big car manufacturers and teams, who created the history of this sport, compete? Wouldn't it be more appropriate to call it Formula GP3?"