Jean Todt is a French motor racing executive and former rally co-driver.
34 Facts About Jean Todt
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Jean Todt was previously director of Peugeot Talbot Sport and then Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team principal, before being appointed chief executive officer of Ferrari from 2004 to 2008.
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In 1966, Todt started his career as a rally co-driver and participated in World Championship rallies until 1981 when, with Guy Frequelin, he won the Constructors' World Rally Championship with Talbot Lotus.
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In October 2009, Jean Todt was elected President of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile ; he was re-elected in December 2013 and December 2017.
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On 29 April 2015, Jean Todt was appointed the United Nations' Special Envoy for Road Safety.
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Jean Todt was born in Pierrefort, a southern Cantal village in the Auvergne region of France.
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The young Jean Todt was fascinated by motorsport and had special respect for drivers like Jim Clark and Dan Gurney.
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Jean Todt went on to enjoy success as a co-driver with Jean-Francois Piot, Ove Andersson, Achim Warmbold, Jean Guichet, Hannu Mikkola, Jean-Claude Lefebvre, Timo Makinen, Jean-Pierre Nicolas and Guy Frequelin.
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Jean Todt represented the drivers in the FISA Rally Commission from 1975 to 1981.
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Jean Todt applied his abilities as an organiser and strategist to the creation of Peugeot Talbot Sport, which he set up to spearhead the French firm's return to competition.
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Jean Todt was the mastermind behind the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, Peugeot 405 Turbo 16 and Peugeot 905.
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In 1987, Jean Todt adapted the 205 Turbo 16 to off-road rallies with the aim of competing in the showcase Paris-Dakar Rally.
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Jean Todt became the centre of attention in the 1989 Paris-Dakar when he tossed a coin to decide between his two drivers Ari Vatanen and Jacky Ickx to ensure that their rivalry would not lead to one of them quitting and costing the team victory.
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Jean Todt was recruited by Luca di Montezemolo, the new CEO of Scuderia Ferrari.
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Jean Todt was the first non-Italian since Marco Piccinini to head the Scuderia.
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Jean Todt's challenge was to lead Ferrari back to success at a time when the team was experiencing some of the worst days in its history.
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Jean Todt set about restructuring the management of the Racing Division.
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In 1994, barely a year after Jean Todt took up the challenge, Gerhard Berger won the German Grand Prix.
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Jean Todt then hired two former Benetton managers, the designer and aerodynamics specialist Rory Byrne and technical director Ross Brawn, to replace John Barnard.
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Jean Todt achieved his goal of reviving Ferrari by winning victories with Schumacher in five consecutive world championships, a first in the history of Formula One.
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On 1 June 2004, Jean Todt was appointed CEO of Ferrari in addition to his title of General Manager of the Racing Division.
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Jean Todt 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.
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Jean Todt was the second contender to declare, the 1981 world rally champion Ari Vatanen having announced his candidature just a few days earlier.
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Jean Todt 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.
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Since April 29,2015, Jean Todt has been Special Envoy for Road Safety to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
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Jean Todt is one of the Founders and Vice-President of the Institut du cerveau et de la moelle epiniere, an institute devoted to medical research for brain and spinal cord disorders, which was set up in 2005.
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Jean Todt 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 and member of the Board of Directors for the International Peace Institute since June 2015.
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Jean Todt has been a member of the IOC's Commission for Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport since April 2017.
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Jean Todt sits on the boards of Gaumont, the Groupe Lucien Barriere and Edmond de Rothschild SA.
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Since 2003, Jean Todt has been an Honorary President of the Federazione Auto Motoristica Sammarinese and Ambassador of the Republic of San Marino.
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Jean Todt is an Honorary Member of the Automobile Club de France and of the Polo de Paris.
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Jean Todt has been awarded many titles and distinctions, including:.
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Jean Todt has been living with the Academy Award winning actress Michelle Yeoh since 2004.
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Jean Todt has a son from his previous marriage, Nicolas Todt, a driver manager and former co-owner of ART Grand Prix.