Jean Todt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Todt
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Todt in 2023
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| President of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile | |
| In office 23 October 2009 – 17 December 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Max Mosley |
| Succeeded by | Mohammed Ben Sulayem |
| United Nations Secretary General's Special Envoy for Road Safety | |
| Assumed office 29 April 2015 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 February 1946 Pierrefort, France |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Nicolas Todt |
| Education | École des Cadres |
| Occupation | Motor racing executive |
| Awards | Grand Croix de la Légion d'honneur |
Jean Todt (born 25 February 1946) is a famous French leader in motor racing. He started his career as a rally co-driver. Later, he became the director of top racing teams like Peugeot Talbot Sport and Scuderia Ferrari.
He was also the chief executive officer of Ferrari from 2004 to 2008. From 2009 to 2021, he was the president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA is the main group that governs motorsports around the world.
As a co-driver, Todt helped his team win the World Rally Championship in 1981. At Peugeot, his teams won four World Rally Championship titles. They also won the Paris-Dakar Rally four times.
When he led Ferrari, their teams won 13 Formula One World Championship titles. Under his leadership, Michael Schumacher won five world championships in a row. Todt was also appointed the United Nations' Special Envoy for Road Safety in 2015. This role helps make roads safer around the world.
Contents
Jean Todt's Journey in Racing
Jean Todt was born in a small village called Pierrefort in France. After finishing high school, he studied business in Paris.
Starting as a Rally Co-driver: 1966 to 1981
Young Jean Todt loved motorsport. He admired famous drivers like Jim Clark. He started as a rally co-driver in 1966. A co-driver helps the driver by reading maps and giving directions during a race.
Todt was very good at planning and organizing. This made him a popular co-driver. He worked with many top rally stars. In 1981, he and driver Guy Fréquelin helped Talbot win the World Rally Championship for manufacturers. He also became involved in managing the team and working with the FIA.
Leading Peugeot Talbot Sport: 1982 to 1993
In 1981, Todt stopped being a co-driver. He became the Director of Racing for Peugeot. Peugeot was having some tough times, and Todt was tasked with making their racing team strong again.
He created Peugeot Talbot Sport. He was the brains behind famous cars like the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16. In 1985 and 1986, Peugeot won the World Rally Championship.
In 1987, Todt changed the 205 Turbo 16 for off-road rallies. His team won the tough Paris-Dakar Rally four times in a row. He was known for making smart decisions, even flipping a coin once to decide which of his two drivers should win a race to ensure the team's victory.
Peugeot also won the Le Mans 24 Hours race in 1992 and 1993. This is a very long and challenging endurance race.
Leading Scuderia Ferrari: 1994 to 2007
In 1993, Jean Todt joined Scuderia Ferrari, a legendary Italian racing team. He became the General Manager of their Racing Division. Ferrari had not won a driver's championship since 1979. Todt's big challenge was to bring them back to winning ways.
He reorganized the team and brought in new talent. In 1994, Ferrari won a Grand Prix race for the first time in four years. At the end of 1995, Todt convinced Michael Schumacher, a double world champion, to join Ferrari.
He also hired other key people like Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn. Together, this team worked to make Ferrari unbeatable. From 2000 to 2004, Michael Schumacher won five world championships in a row. Ferrari also won six straight Constructors' Championships. This was a record-breaking time for the team in Formula One.
Becoming CEO and Advisor at Ferrari: 2004 to 2009
In 2004, Todt also became the CEO of Ferrari. After Michael Schumacher retired in 2006, Todt became a Special Advisor for the team. He helped prepare Stefano Domenicali to take over his role. In 2009, Todt left all his positions at Ferrari.
President of the FIA: 2009 to 2021
In 2009, Jean Todt decided to run for President of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA is the global governing body for motorsport. He won the election and became president in October 2009.
He was re-elected two more times, in 2013 and 2017. His time as FIA President ended in December 2021. He was succeeded by Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
UN Special Envoy for Road Safety
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Since April 2015, Todt has been a Special Envoy for Road Safety for the United Nations. In this important role, he works to make roads safer for everyone around the world. He helps promote new technologies and rules to prevent accidents.
Other Important Activities
Jean Todt also spends his time helping many good causes. He helped start the Institut du cerveau et de la moelle épinière (ICM). This institute does medical research on brain and spinal cord problems.
He is also involved with the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society. This group works on road safety and environmental issues. He is also an ambassador for the Republic of San Marino.
Achievements and Awards
Jean Todt has achieved a lot in his career.
As a Co-driver
- He won the Rally of Poland in 1973.
- He won the Rallye du Maroc in 1975.
- He won the Rally Argentina in 1981.
- He was the runner-up in the World Rally Championship in 1981.
As a Team Principal/Director
- He led Peugeot to win the World Rally Championship twice (1985, 1986).
- His Peugeot team won the Paris-Dakar Rally four times (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990).
- He led Peugeot to win the Le Mans 24 Hours race twice (1992, 1993).
- He led Scuderia Ferrari to win the Formula One World Constructors’ Championship eight times (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008).
- He led Scuderia Ferrari to win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship six times (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 with Michael Schumacher, and 2007 with Kimi Räikkönen).
Awards and Honors
Jean Todt has received many important awards, including:
- Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (France's highest award) in 2011.
- Commander of the Italian Republic in 2002.
- Dato Seri of Malaysia in 2006.
- Medal of the Order of Friendship of the Russian Federation in 2015.
- Humanitarian of the Year Award by the United Nations Association of New York in 2016.
Leadership Roles
- Peugeot Talbot Sport: 1982–1993
- Scuderia Ferrari: 1993–2008
- General Manager of the Ferrari Racing Division: 1993–2007
- CEO of Ferrari: 2004–2006
- Special Advisor at Ferrari: 2006–2009
- Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile: 2009–2021
Personal Life
Jean Todt is married to the famous Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh. They got married in Geneva in July 2023. He has a son from a previous marriage, Nicolas Todt. Nicolas is also involved in motorsport as a driver manager.
See also
In Spanish: Jean Todt para niños
- Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
- Formula One
- World Rally Championship
- Paris-Dakar Rally
