Jean Todt
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Jean Todt (; born 25 February 1946) is a French motor racing executive and former rally
co-driver A co-driver is the navigator of a rally car in the sport of rallying, who sits in the front passenger seat. The co-driver's job is to navigate, commonly by reading off a set of pacenotes to the driver (what lies ahead, where to turn, the severity ...
. He was previously director of
Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot Sport is the department of French carmaker Peugeot responsible for motorsport activities. History Beginnings in rallying Peugeot Sport was formed in 1981 under the name of Peugeot Talbot Sport, after Jean Todt, a World Rally Champions ...
and then
Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Società per Azioni, S.p.A. () is the racing division of luxury Italian auto manufacturer Ferrari and the racing team that competes in Formula One racing. The team is also known by the nickname "The Prancing Horse", in refere ...
Formula 1 team principal, before being appointed chief executive officer of
Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
from 2004 to 2008. From 2009 to 2021 he served as the ninth president of the
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; en, International Automobile Federation) is an association established on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users. It is the governing body for ...
(FIA). In 1966, Todt started his career as a rally co-driver and participated in World Championship rallies until 1981 when, with
Guy Fréquelin Guy Fréquelin (born 2 April 1945 at Langres) is a French former rally and sports car driver. Biography Perhaps Fréquelin's finest hour as a driver came when he finished runner-up only to Ari Vatanen, alongside then-navigator Jean Todt, at the wh ...
, he won the Constructors' World Rally Championship with Talbot Lotus. Under Todt's leadership,
Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and the ...
won four
World Rally Championship The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
titles (drivers and manufacturers), won the
Paris-Dakar Rally The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as the "Paris–Dakar Rally") is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Most events since the inception in 1978 were staged from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal, ...
four times, and twice won the Le Mans 24 Hours. During his time in charge at Ferrari, their teams won 14
Formula One World Championship Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
titles (drivers and manufacturers). Also under Todt's leadership,
Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher (; ; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver who competed in Formula One for Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari, and Mercedes. Schumacher has a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Lewis ...
won five consecutive World Drivers' Championships, from 2000 to 2004, and 72 of his 91 victories. In October 2009, Todt was elected President of the
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; en, International Automobile Federation) is an association established on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users. It is the governing body for ...
(FIA); he was re-elected in December 2013 and December 2017. Todt's most recent term as FIA President ended in December 2021. On 29 April 2015, Todt was appointed the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
' Special Envoy for Road Safety.


Life and career

Todt was born in Pierrefort, a southern
Cantal Cantal (; oc, Cantal or ) is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Aurillac. Its other principal towns are Saint-Flour, Cantal, Saint ...
village in the
Auvergne Auvergne (; ; oc, label=Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Auverg ...
region of
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. After high school, Todt studied at the Ecole des Cadres School of Economics and Business in Paris.


Rally co-driver: 1966 to 1981

The young Todt was fascinated by motorsport and had special respect for drivers like
Jim Clark James Clark Jr. OBE (4 March 1936 – 7 April 1968) was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965. A versatile driver, he competed in sports cars, touring cars and in the Indianapol ...
and
Dan Gurney Daniel Sexton Gurney (April 13, 1931 – January 14, 2018) was an American racing driver, race car constructor, and team owner who reached racing's highest levels starting in 1958. Gurney won races in the Formula One, Indy Car, NASCAR, Can-Am, ...
. Borrowing the parental
Mini Cooper Mini Cooper may refer to: *Cars of the original Mini series called the "Mini Cooper", made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors 1961–1971, and 1990–2000 *Cars of the Mini (marque), including a number of different models produced ...
to drive in rallies, he soon decided his greatest strength was as a co-driver. He first co-drove with
Guy Chasseuil Guy Chasseuil (born 26 January 1942 in Paris) is a French former racing driver. During his racing career he specialized in rallying and endurance racing. Career Guy Chasseuil's first major race was the 1966 24 Hours of Spa, driving an NSU ...
in 1966 and his talent for calculation, strategy and organisation quickly made him a sought-after navigator. By 1969, Todt was involved with world-class rally stars such as
Jean-Pierre Nicolas Jean-Pierre Nicolas (born 22 January 1945) is a retired French professional rally driver who competed mainly in the 1970s. Nicolas took five WRC event wins in the World Rally Championship. His best result in the drivers' championship was second ...
,
Rauno Aaltonen Rauno August Aaltonen (born 7 January 1938), also known as "The Rally Professor", is a Finnish former professional rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship throughout the 1970s. Career Before WRC was established Aaltonen compet ...
,
Ove Andersson Ove Andersson (3 January 1938 – 11 June 2008), nicknamed ''Påven'' ("the Pope"), was a Swedish rally driver and the first head of Toyota's F1 programme. Early life Andersson was born in Uppsala and grew up on a remote farm. His father bough ...
,
Hannu Mikkola Hannu Olavi Mikkola (24 May 1942 − 25 February 2021) was a Finnish champion world rally driver. He was a seven-time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times. Career Mikkola's rally career ...
and
Guy Fréquelin Guy Fréquelin (born 2 April 1945 at Langres) is a French former rally and sports car driver. Biography Perhaps Fréquelin's finest hour as a driver came when he finished runner-up only to Ari Vatanen, alongside then-navigator Jean Todt, at the wh ...
. He went on to enjoy success as a co-driver with Jean-François Piot,
Ove Andersson Ove Andersson (3 January 1938 – 11 June 2008), nicknamed ''Påven'' ("the Pope"), was a Swedish rally driver and the first head of Toyota's F1 programme. Early life Andersson was born in Uppsala and grew up on a remote farm. His father bough ...
, Achim Warmbold,
Jean Guichet Jean Guichet (born 10 August 1927 in Marseille, France) is a French industrialist and former racing driver. He is best known for winning the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans with co-driver Nino Vaccarella, driving a Ferrari 275 P for Scuderia Ferrari. ...
,
Hannu Mikkola Hannu Olavi Mikkola (24 May 1942 − 25 February 2021) was a Finnish champion world rally driver. He was a seven-time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times. Career Mikkola's rally career ...
, Jean-Claude Lefèbvre,
Timo Mäkinen Timo Mäkinen (18 March 1938 in Helsinki, Finland – 4 May 2017) was one of the original " Flying Finns" of motor rallying. He is best remembered for his hat-trick of wins in the RAC Rally and the 1000 Lakes Rally. Career Mäkinen's start in ...
,
Jean-Pierre Nicolas Jean-Pierre Nicolas (born 22 January 1945) is a retired French professional rally driver who competed mainly in the 1970s. Nicolas took five WRC event wins in the World Rally Championship. His best result in the drivers' championship was second ...
and Guy Fréquelin. In 1981, as Guy Fréquelin's co-driver with
Talbot Talbot was an automobile marque introduced in 1902 by English-French company Clément-Talbot. The founders, Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th Earl of Shrewsbury and Adolphe Clément-Bayard, reduced their financial interests in their Clément-Talbot ...
, a
Peugeot Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by Stellantis. The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and the ...
subsidiary, he won the manufacturers’
World Rally Championship The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
and was runner-up in the drivers' World Rally Championship. At the same time, he was increasingly moving out from his role as a co-driver by participating in the management of the team and in relations with the
FIA FIA is the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (English: International Automobile Federation), the world's governing body for all forms of motor sport where four or more wheels are used. Fia or FIA may also refer to: People * Fia Backst ...
. He also represented the drivers in the FISA (
Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) was the sport governing body for motor racing events, in particular Formula One. The organization's origins dated from 1922, when the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) delegat ...
) Rally Commission from 1975 to 1981.


Director of Peugeot Talbot Sport: 1982 to 1993

In 1981, he retired from competing as a co-driver and was appointed Director of Racing for Peugeot by the then CEO Jean Boillot at a time when
PSA Peugeot Citroën The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
was experiencing major financial difficulties as well as image problems. He applied his abilities as an organiser and strategist to the creation of
Peugeot Talbot Sport Peugeot Sport is the department of French carmaker Peugeot responsible for motorsport activities. History Beginnings in rallying Peugeot Sport was formed in 1981 under the name of Peugeot Talbot Sport, after Jean Todt, a World Rally Champions ...
, which he set up to spearhead the French firm's return to competition. He was the mastermind behind the
Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 The Peugeot 205 is a supermini (B-segment) car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1983 to 1999. It was declared "car of the decade" by ''CAR Magazine'' in 1990. It also won ''What Car?s Car of the Year for 1984. The 205 was introd ...
, Peugeot 405 Turbo 16 and
Peugeot 905 The Peugeot 905 is a sports-prototype racing car built by Peugeot's racing department, Peugeot Talbot Sport. The car was initially unveiled in February 1990 and was developed throughout 1990 before making its race debut in the final two races of ...
. In 1984, Peugeot returned to the World Rally Championship and, in 1985 and 1986, the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Group B driven first by
Timo Salonen Timo Salonen (born October 8, 1951) is a Finnish former rally driver who won the 1985 World Rally Championship season for Peugeot. It was commented of him that he stood out from other drivers, because he was overweight, wore thick glasses and smok ...
then by
Juha Kankkunen Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen (; born 2 April 1959) is a Finnish former rally driver. His factory team career in the World Rally Championship lasted from 1983 to 2002. He won 23 world rallies and four drivers' world championship titles, which we ...
obtained back-to-back manufacturers’ World Championship titles. In 1986
Henri Toivonen Henri Pauli Toivonen (25 August 1956 – 2 May 1986) was a Finnish rally driver born in Jyväskylä, the home of Rally Finland. His father, Pauli, was the 1968 European Rally Champion for Porsche and his brother, Harri, became a profess ...
died driving a
Lancia Delta S4 The Lancia Delta S4 is a Group B rally car manufactured by the Italian car company Lancia. The Delta S4 competed in the World Rally Championship in 1985 and 1986, until Group B class was disbanded and the cars were eventually banned from competit ...
during the
Tour de Corse The Tour de Corse is a rally first held in 1956 on the island of Corsica. It was the French round of the World Rally Championship from the inaugural 1973 season until 2008, was part of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge from 2011 to 2012, an ...
rally and the FIA decided to drop the
Group B Group B was a set of regulations for grand touring (GT) vehicles used in sports car racing and rallying introduced in 1982 by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Although permitted to enter a GT class of the World Sportscar ...
class as being too fast and too dangerous. In 1987, Todt adapted the 205 Turbo 16 to off-road rallies with the aim of competing in the showcase
Paris-Dakar Rally The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as the "Paris–Dakar Rally") is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Most events since the inception in 1978 were staged from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal, ...
. He became the centre of attention in the 1989 Paris-Dakar when he tossed a coin to decide between his two drivers
Ari Vatanen Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen (; born 27 April 1952) is a Finnish rally driver turned politician and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1999 to 2009. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally ...
and
Jacky Ickx Jacques Bernard "Jacky" Ickx (; born 1 January 1945) is a Belgian former racing driver who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans six times (second-highest of all time) and achieved eight wins and 25 podium finishes in Formula One. He greatly contributed ...
to ensure that their rivalry would not lead to one of them quitting and costing the team victory. From 1987 to 1990, he oversaw four successive victories in the Paris-Dakar with Vatanen and
Juha Kankkunen Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen (; born 2 April 1959) is a Finnish former rally driver. His factory team career in the World Rally Championship lasted from 1983 to 2002. He won 23 world rallies and four drivers' world championship titles, which we ...
. Peugeot subsequently decided to withdraw from off-road rallying and left the field open to
Citroën Citroën () is a French automobile brand. The "Automobiles Citroën" manufacturing company was founded in March 1919 by André Citroën. Citroën is owned by Stellantis since 2021 and previously was part of the PSA Group after Peugeot acquired ...
who won the event with the Citroën ZX Rallye-Raid, based on the Peugeot 405 chassis. In 1992, Todt won the Le Mans 24 Hours with the
Peugeot 905 The Peugeot 905 is a sports-prototype racing car built by Peugeot's racing department, Peugeot Talbot Sport. The car was initially unveiled in February 1990 and was developed throughout 1990 before making its race debut in the final two races of ...
driven by
Derek Warwick Derek Stanley Arthur Warwick (born 27 August 1954) is a British former professional racing driver from England, who lives in Jersey. He raced for many years in Formula One, collecting four podiums but never winning a Grand Prix. He did, however, ...
,
Yannick Dalmas Yannick Dalmas (born 28 July 1961) is a former racing driver from France. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times (in 1992, 1994, 1995 and 1999), each with different teams. Prior to this, he participated in 49 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting ...
and
Mark Blundell Mark Blundell (born 8 April 1966) is a British racing driver who competed in Formula One for four seasons, sports cars, and CART. He won the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans. He was a Formula One presenter for the British broadcaster ITV until the ...
and, in 1993, again at Le Mans, three 905 cars driven by
Geoff Brabham __NOTOC__ Geoff Brabham (born 20 March 1952) is an Australian racing driver. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the United States. Racing career CART He raced successfully in CART early in his career, finishing 8th in 1982, 1 ...
,
Christophe Bouchut Christophe Bouchut (born 24 September 1966 in Voiron, Isère) is a French professional racing driver. He currently competes in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, driving for Dexwet-df1 Racing and Alex Caffi Motorsport in a part-time effort. He won ...
and
Éric Hélary Éric Hélary (born 10 August 1966) is a professional racing driver from Paris. His career has encompassed single seater formulae, endurance sports car racing, and touring cars. He won the French Formula Three Championship in 1990 and is best ...
achieved a 1-2-3 victory.


General Manager of Scuderia Ferrari: 1994 to 2007

In 1993, at the age of 47, Todt's 12 years with Peugeot Talbot Sport came to an end. He was recruited by
Luca di Montezemolo Luca Cordero di Montezemolo (; born 31 August 1947) is an Italian businessman, former Chairman of Ferrari, and formerly Chairman of Fiat S.p.A. and President of Confindustria and FIEG. He comes from an aristocratic family from the region of Piedm ...
, the new CEO of
Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari Società per Azioni, S.p.A. () is the racing division of luxury Italian auto manufacturer Ferrari and the racing team that competes in Formula One racing. The team is also known by the nickname "The Prancing Horse", in refere ...
. On 1 July of that year at the
French Grand Prix The French Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de France), formerly known as the Grand Prix de l'ACF (Automobile Club de France), is an auto race held as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One World Championsh ...
at
Magny-Cours Magny-Cours () is a Communes of France, commune in the Nièvre Departments of France, department in central France. It is the home of the ''Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours'', a famous Motorsport#Motor racing, motor racing circuit (whose name is of ...
, he started in as the General Manager of the Racing Division at the head of a team of 400 technicians. He was the first non-Italian since Marco Piccinini to head the Scuderia. His challenge was to lead Ferrari back to success at a time when the team was experiencing some of the worst days in its history. The Italian team was undermined by internal quarrels and a production system that was partly delocalised. The Scuderia had won no driver's championship since 1979. Todt set about restructuring the management of the Racing Division. In 1994, barely a year after Todt took up the challenge,
Gerhard Berger Gerhard Berger (born 27 August 1959) is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver. He competed in Formula One for 14 seasons, twice finishing 3rd overall in the championship ( and ), both times driving for Ferrari. He won ten Grands Prix, ach ...
won the
German Grand Prix The German Grand Prix (german: Großer Preis von Deutschland) was a motor race that took place most years since 1926, with 75 races having been held. The race has been held at only three venues throughout its history; the Nürburgring in R ...
(Ferrari's first win in 4 years). Even so,
Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher (; ; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver who competed in Formula One for Jordan, Benetton, Ferrari, and Mercedes. Schumacher has a joint-record seven World Drivers' Championship titles (tied with Lewis ...
's Benetton-
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
(world champion in 1994 and 1995) and the Williams-
Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...
cars of
Ayrton Senna Ayrton Senna da Silva (; 21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver who won the Formula One List of Formula One World Drivers' Champions, World Drivers' Championship in , , and . Senna is one of three Formula One drivers fro ...
,
Damon Hill Damon Graham Devereux Hill, (born 17 September 1960) is a British former professional racing driver from England and the 1996 Formula One World Champion. He is the son of Graham Hill, and, along with Nico Rosberg, one of two sons of a Formu ...
,
Nigel Mansell Nigel Ernest James Mansell, (; born 8 August 1953) is a British retired racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship (1992) and the CART Indy Car World Series ( 1993). Mansell was the reigning F1 champion when he moved over ...
and
David Coulthard David Marshall Coulthard (; born 27 March 1971) is a British former racing driver from Scotland, later turned presenter, commentator and journalist. Nicknamed 'DC', he competed in 15 seasons of Formula One between and , taking 13 Grand Prix vi ...
largely dominated the competition. At the end of the 1995 season, Todt asked the German double world champion Michael Schumacher to join the Scuderia. In 1996, after winning the
Spanish Grand Prix The Spanish Grand Prix ( es, Gran Premio de España, ca, Gran Premi d'Espanya) is a Formula One motor racing event currently held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The race is one of the oldest in the world still contested, celebrating it ...
early on the season, Schumacher won two consecutive victories in first the Belgian and then the Italian Grand Prix. Todt then hired two former Benetton managers, the designer and aerodynamics specialist
Rory Byrne Rory Byrne (born 10 January 1944) is a South African semi-retired engineer and car designer, most famous for being the chief designer at the Benetton and Scuderia Ferrari Formula One teams. Byrne-designed cars have won ninety-nine Grands Pri ...
and technical director Ross Brawn, to replace
John Barnard John Edward Barnard (born 4 May 1946, Wembley, London) is an English engineer and racing car designer. Barnard is credited with the introduction of two new designs into Formula One: the carbon fibre composite chassis first seen in with Mc ...
. In 1997 and 1998 Ferrari missed out on the world drivers' title by a few points during the final races of the season, in 1997 behind
Jacques Villeneuve Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve ( born 9 April 1971) is a Canadian professional racing driver and amateur musician who won the 1997 Formula One World Championship with Williams. In addition to Formula One (F1) he has competed in various ot ...
's Williams-Renault and in 1998 and 1999 behind
Mika Häkkinen Mika Pauli Häkkinen (; born 28 September 1968), nicknamed "The Flying Finn", is a Finnish former racing driver. He won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1998 and 1999, both times driving for McLaren. Häkkinen is one of three For ...
's
McLaren McLaren Racing Limited is a British motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. McLaren is best known as a Formula One constructor, the second oldest active team, and the second most successful Formul ...
- Mercedes. Todt achieved his goal of reviving Ferrari by winning victories with Schumacher in five consecutive world championships (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004), a first in the history of Formula One.


CEO and Special Advisor at Ferrari: 2004 to 2009

On 1 June 2004, Todt was appointed CEO of Ferrari in addition to his title of General Manager of the Racing Division. In October 2006, three days after the end of the Formula One season and following the retirement of Michael Schumacher, he took up a new post as a Special Advisor for the Scuderia Ferrari. In 2007, he prepared the ground for Stefano Domenicali to succeed him as head of the Scuderia on 1 January 2008. Then, on 18 March 2008, he resigned his position as Special Advisor to the Ferrari board, to be replaced by
Amedeo Felisa Amedeo Felisa (born 1946) is an Italian businessman, and the chief executive (CEO) of Aston Martin since May 2022. He was CEO of Ferrari from 2008 to 2016. Felisa was born in Milan in 1946. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the Po ...
. He nonetheless remained a member of the board of Ferrari for a further year before resigning all his functions within the Italian firm in March 2009.


President of FIA

In April 2009, he became President of "eSafety Aware!" for the promotion of the smart vehicles and new safety technologies, which enabled him to improve his knowledge of the internal workings of the FIA. On 16 July 2009, he officially announced his intention of running for the Presidency of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile in the election that was due to take place in October. The day before, he had received the support of outgoing President
Max Mosley Max Rufus Mosley (13 April 1940 – 23 May 2021) was a British racing driver, lawyer, and president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), a non-profit association which represents the interests of motoring organisations and ...
, who had decided not to stand for re-election. He was the second contender to declare, the 1981 world rally champion
Ari Vatanen Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen (; born 27 April 1952) is a Finnish rally driver turned politician and a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 1999 to 2009. Vatanen won the World Rally Championship drivers' title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally ...
having announced his candidature just a few days earlier. On 23 October 2009, he was elected President of the FIA (for what would become his first term) gaining 135 votes in comparison to Vatanen's 49. He was re-elected, unchallenged, for a second four-year term on 6 December 2013, and was again re-elected, unopposed, for a third four-year term on 8 December 2017. His FIA presidency ended in December 2021, with the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix being his last race which he would attend as president. He was later succeeded by
Mohammed bin Sulayem Mohammed Ahmad Sultan Ben Sulayem ( ar, محمد بن سليم; born 12 November 1961) is an Emirati former rally driver and current president of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile). He is one of the Arab world's leading mot ...
.


UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy

Since April 29, 2015, Jean Todt has been Special Envoy for Road Safety to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The new UN Secretary-General António Guterres confirmed him in this role in April 2017.


Other activities

Jean Todt also devotes his time to several charitable causes. He is one of the Founders and Vice-President of the
Institut du cerveau et de la moelle épinière An institute is an organisational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes can ...
(ICM), an institute devoted to medical research for brain and spinal cord disorders, which was set up in 2005. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society since 2009, President of the Board of Directors of the Suu Foundation since December 2014, Tourism Ambassador for Malaysia (2009-2015) and member of the Board of Directors for the
International Peace Institute The International Peace Institute (IPI, formerly the International Peace Academy) is an independent non-profit lobby group based in New York (beside the headquarters of the United Nations, with which IPI works closely). The institute has regional ...
(IPI) since June 2015. He has been a member of the IOC's Commission for Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport since April 2017. Since January 2018, he has been a board member of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens. He also sits on the boards of Gaumont, the Groupe Lucien Barrière and Edmond de Rothschild SA. Since 2003, Todt has been an Honorary President of the Federazione Auto Motoristica Sammarinese (FAMS) and Ambassador of the Republic of
San Marino San Marino (, ), officially the Republic of San Marino ( it, Repubblica di San Marino; ), also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino ( it, Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino, links=no), is the fifth-smallest country in the world an ...
. He is also an Honorary Member of the Automobile Club de France and of the Polo de Paris.


Trophies and titles


Trophies


As co-driver

* Lyon-Charbonnières Rally (co-driver): 1968 with Jean-Claude Andruet in Alpine A110 1440 * Grasse-Alpin Rally (co-driver): 1970 with Jean-François Piot in Ford Escort RS 1800 * Tour de France Automobile Rally (co-driver): 1970 with Jean-Pierre Beltoise and Patrick Depailler in Matra MS650 * Rally de Portugal (co-driver): 1971 with Jean-Pierre Nicolas in Alpine A110 in European Championship * Tour de La Réunion (co-driver): 1972 with Jean-Pierre Nicolas in Renault 12 Gordini * World Rally Championship (co-driver): Vice-champion of the world 1981 with Guy Fréquelin in Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, allowing the team to win the 1981 manufacturers’ World Championship and the Prix Roland Peugeot of the French Académie des Sports for the outstanding French motorsport achievement of the year. Fifty-four WRC competitions as co-driver with a total of four victories between 1973 and 1981: * Winner, Rally of Poland in 1973 (with Achim Warmbold) * Winner, Österreichische Alpenfahrt in 1973 (with Achim Warmbold) * Winner, Rallye du Maroc in 1975 (with
Hannu Mikkola Hannu Olavi Mikkola (24 May 1942 − 25 February 2021) was a Finnish champion world rally driver. He was a seven-time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times. Career Mikkola's rally career ...
) * Winner, Rally Argentina in 1981 (with
Guy Fréquelin Guy Fréquelin (born 2 April 1945 at Langres) is a French former rally and sports car driver. Biography Perhaps Fréquelin's finest hour as a driver came when he finished runner-up only to Ari Vatanen, alongside then-navigator Jean Todt, at the wh ...
) * 2nd in the Rallye du Maroc in 1970 (with Bernard Consten, DS 21) * 2nd in the Monte-Carlo Rally in 1973 (with
Ove Andersson Ove Andersson (3 January 1938 – 11 June 2008), nicknamed ''Påven'' ("the Pope"), was a Swedish rally driver and the first head of Toyota's F1 programme. Early life Andersson was born in Uppsala and grew up on a remote farm. His father bough ...
) * 2nd in the Monte-Carlo Rally in 1975 (with
Hannu Mikkola Hannu Olavi Mikkola (24 May 1942 − 25 February 2021) was a Finnish champion world rally driver. He was a seven-time winner of the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland and won the RAC Rally in Great Britain four times. Career Mikkola's rally career ...
) * 2nd in the Monte-Carlo Rally in 1981 (with
Guy Fréquelin Guy Fréquelin (born 2 April 1945 at Langres) is a French former rally and sports car driver. Biography Perhaps Fréquelin's finest hour as a driver came when he finished runner-up only to Ari Vatanen, alongside then-navigator Jean Todt, at the wh ...
) * 2nd in the Tour de Corse in 1981 (with
Guy Fréquelin Guy Fréquelin (born 2 April 1945 at Langres) is a French former rally and sports car driver. Biography Perhaps Fréquelin's finest hour as a driver came when he finished runner-up only to Ari Vatanen, alongside then-navigator Jean Todt, at the wh ...
) * 2nd in the Rally of Brazil in 1981 (with
Guy Fréquelin Guy Fréquelin (born 2 April 1945 at Langres) is a French former rally and sports car driver. Biography Perhaps Fréquelin's finest hour as a driver came when he finished runner-up only to Ari Vatanen, alongside then-navigator Jean Todt, at the wh ...
) * 3rd in the Tour de Corse in 1969 (with J-F Piot, on this occasion, not WRC) * 3rd in the Österreichische Alpenfahrt in 1970 (with J-F Piot, in the ICM International Championship of Manufacturers) * 3rd in the Monte-Carlo Rally in 1972 (with
Rauno Aaltonen Rauno August Aaltonen (born 7 January 1938), also known as "The Rally Professor", is a Finnish former professional rally driver who competed in the World Rally Championship throughout the 1970s. Career Before WRC was established Aaltonen compet ...
)


As team principal/director

* World Rally Championship (Peugeot Talbot Sport/Peugeot 205 Turbo 16) (2): 1985, 1986 (drivers’ and manufacturers’ title) * German Rally Championship (2): 1985 (Kalle Grundel), 1986 (Michèle Mouton) (Peugeot 205 Turbo 16) * Paris-Dakar Rally (Peugeot Talbot Sport) (4): 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 * Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC - the Race to the Clouds) (Peugeot Talbot Sport) (1) : 1988 (Peugeot 405 Turbo 16 driven by A. Vatanen) * French Rallycross Championship (Peugeot Talbot Sport/Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Evolution 2) (3): 1988 (Guy Fréquelin), 1989 (Philippe Wambergue) and 1990 (Jean-Manuel Beuzelin) * Andros Elite Trophy (Peugeot 205 Turbo 16) (1): 1990 (Éric Arpin) * World Sportscar Championship (Peugeot Talbot Sport/Peugeot 905) (1) : 1992 (drivers’ and manufacturers’ title) * Le Mans 24 Hours (Peugeot Talbot Sport/Peugeot 905) (2): 1992, 1993 * F1 Manufacturers’ World Championship with the Scuderia Ferrari (8): 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008 (106 Grand Prix wins) * F1 World Drivers Championship with the Scuderia Ferrari (6): 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 (Michael Schumacher), 2007 (Kimi Räikkönen)


Titles and distinctions

Jean Todt has been awarded many titles and distinctions, including: * Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (2011) * Gold Medal of Youth and Sports (1987) * Laurent Perrier Grand Siècle Award (1987) * Officer of the National Order of Merit (1991) * Commander of the Italian Republic (2002) * Doctor Honoris Causa in Mechanic Engineering at Florence University (2004) * Dato Seri of Malaysia (2006) * Member of the Ukrainian Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (2011) * Grand Officer of the Order of Saint Agatha (San Marino)(2012) * Commander of the National Order of Merit of Senegal (2013) * Medal of the First Class of the Kingdom of Bahrain, awarded by the King (2014) * Medal of the Order of Friendship of the Russian Federation (2015) * Palme d'Or of the International Automobile Festival (2015) * Humanitarian of the Year Award by the United Nations Association of New York (2016) * Doctor Honoris Causa by the National Sports Academy of Sofia (2017) * Medal of the Order of St. George from the SemperOpernball (2019) *Commander of the Order of Saint Charles of Monaco (2020)


Management positions

* Peugeot Talbot Sport: 1982–1993 * Scuderia
Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
: 1993–2008 ** General manager of the
Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
Racing Division from 1993 to 2007 ** CEO of
Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
from 2004 to 2006 ** Special Advisor at
Ferrari Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
from 2006 to 2009 * FIA: 2009-2021


Personal life

Todt has been living with the Malaysian actress and producer
Michelle Yeoh Michelle Yeoh Choo Kheng, ( ; born 6 August 1962) is a Malaysian actress. Credited as Michelle Khan in her early Hong Kong films, she rose to fame in the 1990s after starring in a series of Hong Kong action films where she performed her own ...
since 2004. He has a son from his previous marriage,
Nicolas Todt Nicolas Todt (born 17 November 1977 in Le Chesnay, Yvelines) is a French motorsport team owner. He is the son of former Ferrari Formula One team principal and former FIA president Jean Todt. Todt is the manager of major racing drivers, including ...
, an influential driver manager and former co-owner of
ART Grand Prix ART Grand Prix is a French motor racing team that competes in formula single-seaters in Europe. In 2012, it competed in the GP2 Series and GP3 Series as Lotus GP to reflect sponsorship from British sports and racing car manufacturer Lotus. The ...
.


See also

*
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; en, International Automobile Federation) is an association established on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users. It is the governing body for ...
*
Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
*
World Rally Championship The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
*
Paris-Dakar Rally The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as the "Paris–Dakar Rally") is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Most events since the inception in 1978 were staged from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal, ...


Notes and references


External links

*
Official website of the FIA - Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile


{{DEFAULTSORT:Todt, Jean 1946 births Living people Sportspeople from Cantal Auto racing crew chiefs Ferrari people Formula One people French rally drivers Grand Officiers of the Légion d'honneur French rally co-drivers French motorsport people Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile presidents French people of Polish-Jewish descent