Jean Todt is careful not to “inflate” rumors of a return to Ferrari – but does not rule out the prospect.
The 75-year-old Frenchman has just resigned as FIA President after a maximum of three terms of four years each, replacing Mohammed bin Sulayem, who was elected as his successor.
While most people who have reached three quarters of a century – and Todt will be 76 in February – may think of a quieter life, this is not necessarily the case for a man whose motorsport career began in 1966 as a rally co-driver.
He has since held executive positions at Peugeot and Ferrari, overseeing their golden era at the beginning of this century – and was also on the Italian giant’s board of directors until he severed that relationship in 2009, months before he became FIA president.
But now he had to forcibly give up this role, and Todt wants to face a new challenge – and recent rumors suggest that he could be back at Ferrari as a consultant.
Team boss Mattia Binotto said he was aware of these rumors and described them as “just speculation”, but spoke warmly of Todt and commented: “I personally worked with Jean Todt. He was my boss and I think I learned a lot from him.
“It was an honor to work with him and I would also say that it will be an honor for me to work with him in the future as well, because I still believe in it, as Mattia and as“ a team, there is still much to learn.”
Todt himself was particularly wary of the Ferrari connection in quotes attributed to AFP and reported by Grandpx.news.
“There were always rumors, but in that respect everything has gotten worse,” said Todt.
“One word is enough to draw conclusions that in most cases do not correspond to reality.
“That is why I prefer to be extremely careful in my comments so as not to inflate any rumors that may arise as a result of my words.”
When asked what he was planning to do next, Todt replied: “In my life I always wanted to learn something new, to move forward. Whatever I do, it will be something new. “
In other quotes attributed to L’Equipe, he said: “At the moment there is nothing. We have to be realistic. My commitment to road safety at the United Nations is first and foremost most important.
“But I’m not closing the door to other options as long as they are compatible with what I’m already doing.”
