Hello everybody
I’d just like to express my view of Jean Todt and the way he works for the Ferrari team.
Many of you will say he plays a very big part in the re-birth of Ferrari but if you take a close look you will see that he made a lot of wrong decisions and should be fired in case of not securing the WDC this year.
Critics on the person:
With his appearance at Ferrari he changed the team completely. But I wouldn‘t say he changed it only for the better: Since his beginning at SF in 1993 he has fooled one driver each year(Alesi, Irvine, and now it’s Barrichello’s turn).
Jean Alesi (Who I consider a real SF insider and also the last REAL FERRARI driver) has a special opinion about Todt.
Todt turned the team which was always well respected for their drivers and the team spirit into a one car team after the arrival of MSc. His whole attention concentrates on the No 1 driver and that is MSc therefor Todt forgets completely about the second driver. The other drivers are fooled by lack of team support.
When MSc arrived at Ferrari Todt turned ENZO’S office into a gym for MSc because MSc wanted it that way!!!! (what do you think about that...)
You considered yourself a real Ferrari fan. I consider myself also a die-hard Ferrari fan since Berger won in Monza in 1988 (Thanks Jean Louis, .......;-) ) I find it unbelievable and it makes me really angry to see how Todt destroyed the whole spirit of Ferrari.
Ok, that far for my personal dislike, but I have also to criticise the way he works:
Critics on the working:
May I ask: What has Jean Todt achieved since 1993???
Of course he was very successful in the past: He lead Peugeot to the victory at the Paris-Dakar in 84/85 (I think those were the years of the 205) and he lead Peugeot also to those glorious victories in Le Mans in 92&93.
But what did he really achieve with Ferrari? I have a simple answer: Not very much!
Of course you can say that he won the constructors’ WC in 1999 and that he lead Ferrari back to a top team but I think this isn’t the whole truth.
The real reason for the success is my eyes the current best driver in F1(although I dislike him): Michael Schumacher. Under his reign the Scuderia fought its way back to the top. But MSc hasn’t still achieved the big aim. But let’s return back to Todt.
Of course he pulled some good guys together like: Brawn, Ted I-don’t-know-his-name, Byrne, Goto, and Barnard and promoted Giorgio Ascanelli but there are a lot of wrong decisions:
Why did he fetch Barnard in 94? Barnard wasn’t that "Wunderkind" anymore. The 93 car was the most dangerous Ferrari build ever and it the 94 car(412T1/ T1B) was only good after Gustav Brunner reshaped the aerodynamics.
And this leads me to another point: If you compare the development of Ferrari and McLaren you clearly have to admit that Todt placed his bets on the wrong horse. McLaren got Newey for 1997. (Look what has happened to Williams since then). Within one year McLaren was world champion because they were able to got the best constructor/aerodynamic specialist.
Jean Todt’s task must clearly have been to get Newey. He failed.
He fetched nearly the whole Benetton team(for heaven's sake he didn’t get Pat Simmonds or Nick Wirth) but he wasn’t able to let Ferrari build a REALLY competitive car until 2000.
While McLaren(Newey) got three titles within three years Todt got 1 title in 7 years.
I’d like also to complain about the mismanagement of money. Msc is paid about 50 Mio Dm a year (25 Mio $).
McLaren pays their drivers about 7-10 Mio $ a year but they invested the money in the car development and won their titles with a driver who developed from mediocre to one of the best(at least Mika).
There you can also see the mismanagement of Todt: Why spending Millions on a driver who isn’t able to win the WDC when it’s possible to win the title with two "normal" drivers but by building the best car?
Ok, to end this topic at last I have to say that Todt is a team director and was responsible for the pit stop disaster at the Nürburgring in 1999. He should have ensured that there were lying 4 (!) not only three tyres. He was responsible for that! He made Eddie lose the WDC in 99!!!
Alright I think it’s enough for the topic Todt.
About Jean Todt not doing a good job at Ferrari
Started by
Chris FF!
, Jul 13 2000 22:15
5 replies to this topic
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#2
Pascal
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Posted 13 July 2000 - 23:08
Chris, a few facts are not exactly accurate in your post.
Enzo's office was never turned into a gym. Schumacher's fitness equipment was put in a neighbouring room in the same little building if I remember correctly, but the Commendatore's office is preserved as it was when the old man died in 1988. Todt would have been hanged from the nearest tree if he had tried to alter what amounts to a shrine for the simple tifoso!
Todt's involvement with Peugeot first started in the 70's when he was a rally co-driver on the 504 Coupé. He took the helm of the Peugeot Talbot Sport outfit in 1983 to launch the successful 205 Turbo 16 Group B car which gave the French constructor 2 world titles in 1985 and 1986. In 1987, with the ban on Group B cars, Peugeot switched to raids such as the Paris-Dakar race, which it won four consecutive years from 1987 to 1990.
In 1991 started the 905 prototype program, and there again Peugeot found success, winning Le Mans twice in 1992 and 1993.
For 1994, the Peugeot board of Directors rejected Todt's proposal for a full effort in Formula 1, and chose instead to simply conceive an engine. Clearly disappointed by that decision, Todt resigned and soon joined Ferrari where his organisation skills were badly needed, as reflected by the poor results of that time.
While I don't always agree with everything Jean Todt has done since he joined the Scuderia, it is pretty hard to dissociate his presence from the new-found success the team has known over the last few years. The restructuring process proved bumpy at times, and was not always immediately successful, but the progress is hard to ignore. It's no wonder then that the man still has the trust of Luca di Montezemolo, who's not known to take failure lightly.
Enzo's office was never turned into a gym. Schumacher's fitness equipment was put in a neighbouring room in the same little building if I remember correctly, but the Commendatore's office is preserved as it was when the old man died in 1988. Todt would have been hanged from the nearest tree if he had tried to alter what amounts to a shrine for the simple tifoso!
Todt's involvement with Peugeot first started in the 70's when he was a rally co-driver on the 504 Coupé. He took the helm of the Peugeot Talbot Sport outfit in 1983 to launch the successful 205 Turbo 16 Group B car which gave the French constructor 2 world titles in 1985 and 1986. In 1987, with the ban on Group B cars, Peugeot switched to raids such as the Paris-Dakar race, which it won four consecutive years from 1987 to 1990.
In 1991 started the 905 prototype program, and there again Peugeot found success, winning Le Mans twice in 1992 and 1993.
For 1994, the Peugeot board of Directors rejected Todt's proposal for a full effort in Formula 1, and chose instead to simply conceive an engine. Clearly disappointed by that decision, Todt resigned and soon joined Ferrari where his organisation skills were badly needed, as reflected by the poor results of that time.
While I don't always agree with everything Jean Todt has done since he joined the Scuderia, it is pretty hard to dissociate his presence from the new-found success the team has known over the last few years. The restructuring process proved bumpy at times, and was not always immediately successful, but the progress is hard to ignore. It's no wonder then that the man still has the trust of Luca di Montezemolo, who's not known to take failure lightly.
#3
Chris FF!
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Posted 14 July 2000 - 07:38
Good morning,
Perhaps you are right about Todt and the re-structuring of the Scuderia. He abolished all the politics which maed it nearly impossible to control Ferrari(just think of the late 80ies or the earyl 90ies!)
But nevertheless Todt made severe mistakes which made the process of fighting the way up to the top longer than neccessary. I think it's a known fact that Jean Todt isn't easy to handle and that he dislikes everybody who shows not that respect toward him as Jean wishes.
I made Lauda leave Ferrari. I think this was also a severe misjudgement. Everybody knows that Lauda is sometimes difficukt to ohandle because he clearly speaks his mind.
But Lauda has nearly always a very clear view of the things going on around him. To "fire" (his contract ran out) him was also a wrong decision.
Let me come back to the Brawn-Newy (correctly spelled?) issue.
I would never dare to say that it was a wrong decision to get Brawn. He works brilliant and his strategies are a major key to the recent Ferrari success.
But the task for Jean Todt must have clearly been to focus more on the aerodynamic issue. (For sure Ferrari built a new wind tunnel in 97) But the man to get was clearly Adrian or another specialist having worked with him.
I think a lot of the ground Ferrari is missing on McLaen comes from the missjudgement of the importance of aerodynamics in the middle of the 90ies.
Ok, see you
Perhaps you are right about Todt and the re-structuring of the Scuderia. He abolished all the politics which maed it nearly impossible to control Ferrari(just think of the late 80ies or the earyl 90ies!)
But nevertheless Todt made severe mistakes which made the process of fighting the way up to the top longer than neccessary. I think it's a known fact that Jean Todt isn't easy to handle and that he dislikes everybody who shows not that respect toward him as Jean wishes.
I made Lauda leave Ferrari. I think this was also a severe misjudgement. Everybody knows that Lauda is sometimes difficukt to ohandle because he clearly speaks his mind.
But Lauda has nearly always a very clear view of the things going on around him. To "fire" (his contract ran out) him was also a wrong decision.
Let me come back to the Brawn-Newy (correctly spelled?) issue.
I would never dare to say that it was a wrong decision to get Brawn. He works brilliant and his strategies are a major key to the recent Ferrari success.
But the task for Jean Todt must have clearly been to focus more on the aerodynamic issue. (For sure Ferrari built a new wind tunnel in 97) But the man to get was clearly Adrian or another specialist having worked with him.
I think a lot of the ground Ferrari is missing on McLaen comes from the missjudgement of the importance of aerodynamics in the middle of the 90ies.
Ok, see you
#4
davy boy
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Posted 14 July 2000 - 08:38
He's put them second only to Maclaren by a hairs breadth, I think thats pretty impressive.
#5
Samurai
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Posted 14 July 2000 - 10:11
Good points Chris. I especially agree with you about Todt (well IMO ultimately MS) costing Ferrari the WDC last year.
The 3 tyre incident of course, but even before this, I think everyone remembers how Todt did not appear so happy at Irvine winning races.
Irvine was leading the WDC race for Ferrari as No. 1 driver, for gosh sakes!
Todt's actions labeled him irreversibly as Michael Schumacher's manager/boot licker,devotant whatever, rather than manager of Ferrari.
The 3 tyre incident of course, but even before this, I think everyone remembers how Todt did not appear so happy at Irvine winning races.
Irvine was leading the WDC race for Ferrari as No. 1 driver, for gosh sakes!
Todt's actions labeled him irreversibly as Michael Schumacher's manager/boot licker,devotant whatever, rather than manager of Ferrari.
#6
Ursus
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Posted 14 July 2000 - 10:21
I don't know if the responsibility for failing to get Newey is entirely Todts. Luca di Montezemolo has stated that he want nothing to do with Newey after their failed attempts to secure his services for '97.
