Jean Todt (FRA) FIA President. 04.09.2021. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 13, Dutch Grand Prix, Zandvoort, Netherlands

Todt defied expectations as president – now he plans to “disappear” from FIA

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When FIA president Max Mosley’s tenure in charge came to an end in 2009 I backed 1981 world rally champion-turned-EU politician Ari Vatanen for the role. Vatanen stood against his former Peugeot team boss, Jean Todt.

I was incredibly disappointed when Todt – better known for having masterminded Ferrari’s 2000s hegemony – won, by a considerable margin, on what was my 56th birthday.

Todt was overtly supported by Mosley who not only campaigned against Vatanen – likely afraid of what he might unearth – but suggested “Jean will continue my good work”, a horrific thought to any straight-thinking motorsport fan. Forget Mosley’s unconventional private life; here was the man behind such lamentable rules changes as the switch from 3.0 V10s to 2.4 V8s ‘on safety grounds’ and the introduction of grooved ‘slick’ tyres.

Still, Todt won squarely, and I gave him a year to prove himself, to turn around the presidency after the endless scandals of the Mosley years. In October 2010 I set about writing a review of Todt’s first year in office, in truth setting out to nail him. But no matter how hard I tried or how deep I dug I could not, in all fairness, find any substantial fault. If anything, the opposite – for he had distanced himself from Mosley, albeit stealthily.

Todt replaced controversial Mosley in charge of FIA
Indeed, whoever I spoke to – including Ari and several of Todt’s erstwhile critics – openly admitted he had done a sterling job during his first year in office, having largely stabilised and unified what had been a rather fractured organisation under Mosley. Saliently, he had not victimised those who stood against him, with many becoming office bearers in his administration; equally, Mosley had become openly critical of Todt.

Indeed, in 2013 one of Mosley’s former lieutenants, David Ward, staged an early challenge ahead of the 2013 elections but was soon seen off, and thereafter Mosley withdrew from FIA activities to concentrate on his media privacy campaigning, not even exercising his seat by right (at the time) on the FIA Senate.

When Todt won the presidency in 2009 there was no Formula E (at the time Tesla produced only funky Lotus-based sports cars with limited range, ‘hybrid’ was a logo stuck on the back of strange-looking Tokyo taxis and halos were only seen on Christmas cards – now that controversial device has saved the life of at least one driver – and potentially as many as six in just four years. WRX did not exist, nor did a Women in Motorsport movement, nor a Disability and Accessibility commission.

Todt won uncontested 2013 and 2017 presidential elections and has now reached the limit on terms and age – three and 75 at date of election respectively. Two challengers for the presidency have thrown their hats into the ring – Graham Stoker, profiled here, and Mohammed bin Sulayem, to be profiled next week – with the election scheduled for 17 December in Paris.

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Thus, in a fortnight the Todt era closes, ending concurrently – and rather fittingly – with the demise of the current F1 regulations and the 13-inch tyres that served F1 so well for 30 years. As he walks out of 8 place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris for the last time Todt can look back on a solid record of achievement, as he could when he exited Peugeot in 1993 and Ferrari in 2008.

Sebastien Buemi, Formula E, Beijing, 2014
Todt ushered in all-electric racing series Formula E
For starters he grew the FIA substantially, financing expansion primarily via shrewd negotiations with F1’s succession of commercial rights holders, CVC Capital Partners and Liberty Media, plus though the periodic (re)awarding of commercial rights to WEC, WRC and WRX. Todt’s creation of Formula E generated further rights income, while a newly-formed marketing department licences approved safety equipment – for a fee.

The net effect is that during Todt’s three terms the FIA grew from 228 member organisations to 245 – in what is essentially a ‘captive’ market – with, crucially, the biggest growth factor occurring at ASN (national sporting club) level, which went from 55 to 71. ACNs (combined sport and mobility clubs) grew from 73 to 75.

In the process staff levels more than doubled from 90 in December 2009 to 222 (representing 21 nationalities), with the sporting department almost tripling in size (45 to 122) and administration growing from 38 to 83. To illustrate how Todt restructured the FIA along business lines: When he was elected the FIA did not have a human resources department; in 2011 the first HR officer was appointed and today the department numbers five heads.

This increased funding was not, though, allocated only internally. Using some of the money received from the various deals and sale of F1 stock the FIA has funded motorsport safety and development projects – as well as mobility activities that do not directly concern our readership – across the globe, with over 130 countries benefitting via 230 grants totalling £20m. Two-thirds of that was spend on motorsport development.

Grosjean survived Bahrain horror crash thanks to Halo
The FIA’s most visible championship – and biggest money-spinner – is Formula 1 and during Todt’s watch the sport has changed massively, predominantly for the better. For example, in 2010 a driver steward was added to the panel, while in 2013 more stringent crash tests were mandated, with halo following five years later despite massive internal and external opposition from various quarters.

Among its detractors was Romain Grosjean. “I wasn’t for the halo some years ago, but I think it’s the greatest thing we’ve brought to Formula 1 and without it, I wouldn’t be able to speak to you today,” he said from hospital after suffering a fiery 240kph crash in Bahrain one year ago. The Haas driver had previously said the device, saying “has no place in Formula 1…”

Although the basic framework for the current F1 hybrid engines, which will see service through to the end of 2025, was devised under Mosley, the original four-cylinder concept was dumped in 2011 in favour of V6 internal combustion engines which boast thermal efficiencies of over 50% – unheard of levels just ten years ago. Last year the FIA supplied F1 engine manufacturers with batches of experimental synthetic fuel – the next big thing.

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Formula E was not only created under Todt’s watch but has undergone massive changes since its introduction in 2014. The first cars had 150kW and a 0-100kph/time of three seconds, with two cars required per driver, so modest was battery capacity. The 2022 ‘Gen3’ cars will have more than double the energy regenerating capability of their predecessors and feature fast-charging. All this technology is road-car relevant, hence the category attracted support from 10 manufacturers.

Nor is electric racing the only alternative energy category: In 2020 a ‘H2’ clause was validated by the FIA World Motorsport Commission to provide clear guidance for hydrogen-powered propulsion. Earlier this year Toyota entered a Corolla equipped with a developmental hydrogen-powered engine in select rounds of Japan’s 2021 Super Taikyu endurance racing series to prove the technology, and will contest further events next year.

McLaren Technology Centre exterior, aerial view
F1 teams joined the FIA’s environmental accreditation scheme
In early 2020 the FIA signed up to the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework and within 12 months had instituted a strategy to accelerate ‘net zero’ transformation, to foster sustainable innovations that can be transferred from sport to mobility, and to reduce the impact of events. To date 14 ASN and various circuits, promoters and event organisers and teams have signed up to FIA initiatives.

Prior to 2009 the route from karting to F1 was a maze with many potential wrong slots, but a single-seater staircase was created by commission president Stefano Domenicali – one of Todt’s Ferrari lieutenants, and now F1 CEO – with similar ladders gradually falling into place for off-road/rally, endurance, and touring cars. True, there are still too many junior series, but streamlining is in place so the situation can only improve.

No self-respecting global sport would not boast a Wall of Fame celebrating its greatest exponents, yet, astonishingly, until 2017 no such platform existed. The first, for F1 champions, was officially opened in December of that year in Paris, and later also in at the FIA’s Geneva base. Rally and endurance champions were inducted in 2019. The platforms are also accessible online.

The above is but a snapshot of how the FIA evolved during Todt’s presidency and does not imply in any way suggests that Todt instituted it all. The fact is, though, that just as at Peugeot and Ferrari he recruited the right people – having found money to hire them – then tasked them to build a better FIA.

A “detail maniac” is how Todt describes himself
A measure of his standing is that during the FIA Conference in July not a single delegate spoke out against him despite having the freedom to do so given he is leaving. Last week I exclusively interviewed Todt for this feature, opening by asking what he considers to be his greatest achievement during the past dozen years.

He gently admonished me for asking what he considers to be “a bad question” before saying, “I will never criticise my predecessor, saying we did better, we did worse, but let’s say that with my team we left a mark on a big organisation.”

Todt explains he “created alliances with bigger organisations in the world, with IOC, with FIFA with UEFA, with the athletic federation” during his time in office. “I am now a special envoy [on road safety] to the Secretary General of the UN.”

“Whatever I have been doing in my life, whatever I will do, if I’m committed then I am a detail maniac on everything. And I try to be as straightforward, loyal, reliable. I was ambitious to do what I needed to do. I leave behind a healthy structured organisation.”

I put to him that he is, though, too much of a petrolhead to not at least follow F1 after he leaves office. He allows a brief smile. “For as long as I will be in this world, I will be watching Formula 1 and following motor racing. Saudi Arabia marked his final grand prix in an official capacity – in keeping with his modus operandi of attending all new events, be they F1, rally or WEC.

He will therefore not be in Abu Dhabi for the last grand prix under his presidency. Will he, though, continue playing an active FIA role after December 17th, such as a senate role?

“I changed the status of that, this position is not appearing [in the FIA statutes] anymore,” he says somewhat flatly. That’s a “no”, then.

He will, though, continue with his other interests, such as UN road safety work and with the Parisian spinal institute he founded but would not be drawn on whom – if either of the candidates – he supports in the presidential race, saying only, “Please understand in my position I cannot comment.” Most unlike Mosley, then…

F1 said farewell to Todt in Saudi Arabia
In Saudi Arabia the word was that the elections are too close to call, that voting could go either way, but one thing is certain: Having inherited a low bar from Mosley, Todt successively (and successfully) inched it up during each year of his presidency, so much so that the successful candidate will be wise to take a course in pole vaulting before officially taking office. A succession of Ferrari team principals soon discovered that.

Todt presided over a period of enormous change for the automobile in all its forms – who would, for example, believe that the FIA would institute e-sports or involve itself in electrification, hydrogen storage or autonomous driving? The incoming FIA president has the advantage that he takes over a stable and well-funded organisation, one that requires only consolidation rather than restructuring.

“I will say something which is very personal,” he says in closing: “I put my heart [into the FIA] for more than 12 years to try to achieve as much as we could. On the 17th of December in the afternoon, I will disappear from FIA.

“I don’t intend to be some kind of hidden voice or something like that. I will leave and I will concentrate on my [other] engagements, but not on that. I will say for the administration of the FIA, for the members of the FIA I wish them the best, but I will not be able to be an influencer on that because my time will be over.”

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15 comments on “Todt defied expectations as president – now he plans to “disappear” from FIA”

  1. Jay (@slightlycrusty)
    8th December 2021, 12:27

    It was obvious that Todt was doing a good job when Ecclestone’s and Mosley’s previously chummy attitude towards him hardened into hatred. It just confirmed he was one of the good guys :-D

  2. Jean’s been a steady hand for the most part, although I wish he’d taken Liberty to task a bit more. The problem for F1 is it reopens the wound of the very unsatisfactory secret Ferrari agreement, the apparent bias of allowing apparent rule-breaking to be resolved in such an opaque manner.

    Ferrari international assistance has not been much in evidence under Todt, but there was an extra mile to go and Todt didn’t do it. It is still pretty remarkable that Ferrari were effectively allowed to keep all the points they accrued with an illegal engine. Whatever the actual truth was, it must have been hugely embarrassing for the FIA and Ferrari to mean a half-baked cover up that effectively confirmed they were cheating was the better option.

    1. Red Bull also got to keep the points they accumulated:
      – with their illegally flexing rear wing. Evidence of the cheating was readily available on Youtube since Austria 2020 (Also showing Red Bull using a rear suspension that goes down at high speed).
      – while using illegally automated pit stop systems
      – for Baku when they were caught using running pressures under the required minimum. Even endangering the life of their drivers.

      It’s just difficult (or rather impossible) to take points away afterwards.

  3. I guess the good thing was that Todt remained mostly invisible. As opposed to Mosley who seemed intent on interfering on just about everything and even went so far as to try and hurt teams with team managers he personally had issue with.

  4. I don’t think this is fair on Max’s time. Remember everything he did after Senna’s death? Though it is no competition most of the things you attribute to Todt are a continuation of that work, things such as the Halo.

    And regarding engines remember that Mosley is the one who introduced the reduction of engine usage per season. Most drivers would get through the same number of engines as they do now in a season in about 3 weeks back in the early 00’s.

    Max got involved maybe more than we like or certainly more than Todt but look at the mess at the weekend or the track limits debacle every single week. Back in Max’s day he got things resolved, even if you didn’t always like it. Monza 2006 and Indy 2005 the occasions he got it wrong.

    I understand the gripes at some of Max’s ways and though you say not I assume his personal life clearly plays a part in that but it undermines the article and the rightful praise of Jean Todt.

    1. someone or something
      9th December 2021, 1:05

      Yeah, you make a valid point, ironically one the article could’ve almost made as well, if not for the personal bias cranked up to eleven:

      “Jean will continue my good work”, a horrific thought to any straight-thinking motorsport fan.

      But alas, it stopped short of exploring the possibility that the truth may be multi-faceted and hard to reconcile with a dichotomous view of the world.
      Instead, it went for an insult to intelligence. Anyone who disagrees isn’t thinking straight.

      Whatever happened between these two in the mid-to-late nineties, to spark this animosity that goes on even after its target kicked the bucket, it was probably downright embarrassingly insignificant, and yet its fallout keeps contaminating articles to this day.

  5. All I can say to Jean Todt is Thank You! Clearly raised the bar compared to his predecessor!

  6. Just as ministers who leave office must not then be employed by companies who are in the same business as the ministers previous office, so an FIA senior member of staff should not be employed by a team.

    There will always be a suspicion that the senior person is using contacts made in the previous office to help the new team.

    We do not want Ferrari International Assistance for real or by suspicion arising again.

    1. He would’ve made those same contacts long before as Ferrari team principal on grid walks or in the back of the Ferrari motorhome anyway.

  7. An opposing viewpoint to the ‘route to F1′ changes (ie the super license requirements) is that at the time they effectively restricted it to FIA-sanctioned series’ which I saw more as protectionism rather than an effort to help drivers. It particularly hurt north and south American-based drivers at the time.

  8. The link to ‘The platforms are also accessible online’ is broken. (The ‘https://’ has been omitted so it tries to go to https://www.racefans.net/2021/12/08/he-defied-expectations-as-the-fias-president-now-todt-plans-to-disappear/www.halloffame.fia.com). For those who want it, it should be https://www.halloffame.fia.com.

    1. I’ve been getting lots of ‘Bad Gateway’ and ‘Broken Link’ when trying to open almost all articles the last few days. I’m on to my third browser, and it still crops up, but then will randomly load the article a few hours later. The site seems to be working fine on my phone. It might just be me of course, not the site, I’m not versed in such things.

  9. Coventry Climax
    9th December 2021, 0:53

    Under Todt’s reign I have watched F1 slide towards the farce it is now. The article praises the growth of the FIA, but I disagree to the belief that bigger is always better. I’m sure LM and shareholders like it, but, for example, I’m more inclined towards Graham Chapman’s adagio to create fast, nimble racecars: ‘Add lightness’.
    I have, over the last years, lost much of my previous fanatic interest in F1, and there’s a good chance I will, after some fifty years, stop following it alltogether.
    To be honest, my sentiment is ‘good riddance’, and I sincerely hope the next in line can bring the controversies and gimmicks to a full stop. And hopefully he doesn’t need three terms to do it.

    1. If you cannot look beyond how inclusive and diverse motorsport as a whole has become now, with special programmes to help those who would otherwise have had no opportunity to even think about a career in the sport, then you are guilty of the same gatekeeping that had made F1 a joke in the past. The FIA President is not responsible only for F1, and considering how healthy and thriving other forms of motorsport around the world are, it is highly disingenuous of you to presume that Todt has in any way been a negative force in the sport.
      Also, curious that a profile naming itself Coventry Climax mixes up between Colin Chapman and a Python.

      1. Coventry Climax
        9th December 2021, 16:31

        For you to be able to say I can’t look beyond things, you would need to be an eye doctor and examine me, which you most likely are not and I will not have you do, respectively.
        I don’t care how much good Todt did on whatever other area, to me – I repeat: ‘to me’, meaning ‘my opinion’- I feel F1 has not improved at all, to say it very mildly. Your opinion is as good as mine. But I don’t agree with what you say. The inclusiveness, the other forms of motorsports thriving, those are things that in all likelyhood would have happened in some form or other anyway, as they are the sign of the times, and most definitely not the sign of this one man. I’m not even a fan of separate women’s series, as I feel that women are not taken seriously and not treated equal at all. We’ve already had women contenders in F1, some -ty years ago, so I can’t say Todt has induced a giant leap there. As for Racing as One; with F1 going to countries like Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and such? That’s a laugh. Again, the slogan is sign of the times, just like the word ‘green’ that you now find on legions of the most ridiculous polutioning, energy consuming, resources misusing gadgets. Or cars, for that matter.
        What’s a python got to do with it, if I may ask? Do you have any idea where my profile name comes from? Any idea why I chose it? Oh, and my profile did not name itself, it was me who chose to name it that. And you’re talking about ‘curiuos mix ups’?

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