Jean Todt

Well, I, I work with an incredibly, uh, visionary, uh, leader in, in, in, uh, an, an individual called Alejandro Agag, um, ex-politician and has moved into motorsports.

Um, the, the, the main founder of Formula E and, um, you know, together with, uh, Jean Todt at the FIA, uh, positioned, you know, alternative energies in motorsports.

And so he, he's been, I would say, a, a, um, a visionary in this space.

And I think, uh, myself, my team, um, what we [chuckles] have to do is to, is to keep up, keep up with him because his vision and his ideas are, are absolutely incredible.

The-

Then when the book was done, we ask Jean Todt, who is, uh, somebody who is a f- part of the history of, uh, Formula 1 and, uh, and a- as everybody knows, to, to see it, to s- to see if he was okay to make the foreword, you know.

And he was, uh...

He said, "Chapeau." You know? It's fantastic.

Yes, but the choice of the author was a fundamental.

It was very important.

I had the help of, uh, Jean Todt w- for that, and, uh, so it...

He was somebody that, uh, Jean Todt, uh, you know, recommend.

It doesn't make sense to go to somewhere like Ferrari, where it feels like it's the circular firing squad, one, but also just everybody gets to have a say in everything to the point that you're immobile or unable to do things.

But can you remind me, wasn't it during the time of Jean Todt where he had that type of leadership and strength?

He had that kind of autonomy, but it still took him six years to win.

So-

...you know, and, and right now, I don't see Fred Vasseur having that kind of autonomy.

Maybe he does, but I don't really get that impression that he does.

What was the culture inside of Ferrari that allowed for Jean Todt to come in and do that as he did?

Luca di Montezemolo said, "Go in and do it, and I'll leave you alone." Now, every so often, Luca would get involved again for something, but it wasn't very often.

Depende do que eles pedissem.

Não, o Jean Todt levou uma equipa.

Se fosse só um, se fosse só um, eu não acredito que aquilo mude.

É, mas eu, eu acho que o Spice Boy ainda tem no WhatsApp dele os contatos daquelas outras pes-- das pessoas com quem ele ainda está bem, ou não? Se calhar já não são muitas, também é verdade.

Então vamos reunir o consórcio, tipo comitê, e agora eu vou falar com o, com o este, com A, com B e com C, depois vamos decidir." E acho que a Ferrari é um bocado por aí.

Hã, ok, a Ferrari sofre, sofre muita pressão do, do Stifò e a pressão italiana é gigantesca.

Hã, mas acho que tem que haver, e acho que quando foi pra lá o, o, o Jean Todt levou uma equipa em que os deixaram trabalhar.

Eles não, não ganharam logo, eles tiveram cinco anos ainda pra ganhar.

We had Rory Byrne.

We had John Todd, also Frenchman, just like they have now.

I mean, that's what they say.

Italy, it's the most successful local Formula One team because it's really Italian, Italian.

fix that problem unless they replace the people that are underneath them as well, maybe.

Yeah, it's about building a culture that is a winning culture, right? Like, we saw John Todd come into that team and turn it into a winning team, but whether Christian Horner is the right person to do that, I mean, he has built a winning team before, I'll give him that, but...

he was also part of a massive implosion of a team, of the same team.

So it's very difficult to say, yes, this guy is the guy that could come in and turn Ferrari back into the powerhouse that it really should be.