Jean Henri Todt (born 25 February 1946) is a French motorsport executive, former World Rally Championship co-driver and one of the most successful team bosses in racing history. Across more than five decades in the sport, Todt has transformed rally teams, revived Ferrari’s Formula One fortunes and led the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) as its ninth President between 2009 and 2021.
| President of Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile | |
|---|---|
| In office 23 October 2009 – 17 December 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Max Mosley |
| Succeeded by | Mohammed Ben Sulayem |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jean Henri Todt 25 February 1946 Pierrefort, France |
| Spouse | Michelle Yeoh (m. 2023) |
| Children | Nicolas Todt |
| Education | École des Cadres |
| Occupation | Motor racing executive |
| Awards | Grand Croix de la Légion d’honneur |
His career began in rallying during the 1960s, where his precision, strategic thinking and organisational skills quickly made him one of the world’s leading co-drivers. After helping Talbot secure the 1981 World Rally Championship for manufacturers, he stepped away from competition to build one of motorsport’s most successful management careers.
As the architect of Peugeot Talbot Sport, Todt guided the French manufacturer to four World Rally Championship titles, four consecutive victories in the Paris-Dakar Rally and back-to-back wins at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.
He later joined Ferrari during one of the Scuderia’s most challenging periods. Through extensive restructuring and the recruitment of key personnel, Todt oversaw one of the greatest dynasties Formula One has ever seen. Ferrari collected 13 Drivers’ and Constructors’ World Championships during his tenure, while Michael Schumacher secured five consecutive World Drivers’ Championships between 2000 and 2004 and 72 of his record-breaking 91 Grand Prix victories.
In October 2009, Todt was elected President of the FIA, the organisation responsible for governing world motorsport. He was comfortably re-elected in both 2013 and 2017, completing three terms before leaving office in December 2021.
Away from motorsport, Todt has become a prominent advocate for road safety. In 2015, he was appointed the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety, a position he has continued to hold under successive UN administrations.
Early Life
Jean Todt was born on 25 February 1946 in the small village of Pierrefort in France’s Cantal department, located in the Auvergne region.
Following secondary school, he studied economics and business at the École des Cadres in Paris, developing the organisational and management skills that would later define his career in motorsport.
Even as a young man, Todt was captivated by racing. Inspired by legends including Jim Clark and Dan Gurney, he initially dreamed of becoming a driver before discovering his true strengths lay in navigation, strategy and team management.
Rally co-driver
Todt entered competitive rallying in 1966, beginning his career as a co-driver alongside Guy Chasseuil. His exceptional attention to detail, calmness under pressure and ability to calculate pace and strategy quickly earned him a reputation as one of the finest navigators in the sport.
By the end of the 1960s, he was regularly working with some of rallying’s biggest names, including Jean-Pierre Nicolas, Rauno Aaltonen, Ove Andersson, Hannu Mikkola and Guy Fréquelin.
Throughout the following decade, Todt partnered a wide range of leading drivers, including Jean-François Piot, Achim Warmbold, Jean Guichet, Jean-Claude Lefèbvre, Timo Mäkinen and Fréquelin, building an impressive international résumé across the World Rally Championship.
His greatest competitive success came in 1981 when, alongside Guy Fréquelin in the Talbot Lotus programme, he helped secure the World Rally Championship for manufacturers while finishing runner-up in the drivers’ standings.
During the latter stages of his driving career, Todt was already becoming increasingly involved in team management and FIA relations. Between 1975 and 1981 he also represented rally drivers on the FISA Rally Commission, giving him valuable experience in the administrative side of the sport.
Director of Peugeot Talbot Sport
Following his retirement from active competition, Todt was appointed Director of Racing at Peugeot in 1981 by PSA chief executive Jean Boillot.
The appointment came during a difficult period for Peugeot, with the company facing financial pressures and a need to rebuild its public image. Todt responded by creating Peugeot Talbot Sport, a dedicated competition department designed to return the manufacturer to the highest level of international motorsport.
Under his leadership, Peugeot developed several iconic competition cars, including the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, Peugeot 405 Turbo 16 and Peugeot 905.
The manufacturer’s return to the World Rally Championship in 1984 quickly proved successful. Driven by Timo Salonen and Juha Kankkunen, the 205 Turbo 16 delivered consecutive manufacturers’ world titles in 1985 and 1986.
Following the tragic death of Henri Toivonen during the 1986 Tour de Corse, the FIA abolished the spectacular but dangerous Group B regulations, forcing manufacturers to rethink their programmes.
Todt responded by redirecting Peugeot’s efforts towards cross-country rallying. The adapted 205 Turbo 16 became one of the dominant vehicles in the Paris-Dakar Rally, where Peugeot claimed four consecutive victories between 1987 and 1990.
One of the most memorable moments from this period came during the 1989 Dakar Rally, when Todt famously settled a dispute between team-mates Ari Vatanen and Jacky Ickx with the toss of a coin, ensuring the team’s unity and preserving victory.
After Peugeot withdrew from rally raid competition, its technology formed the foundation of Citroën’s later Dakar-winning programme.
Todt’s success extended beyond rallying. In endurance racing, the Peugeot 905 captured victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1992 before dominating the event in 1993 with an extraordinary 1-2-3 finish.
General Manager of Scuderia Ferrari
After more than a decade transforming Peugeot into a motorsport powerhouse, Todt accepted one of the biggest challenges in Formula One.
Recruited by Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo, he became General Manager of Ferrari’s racing division on 1 July 1993.
Todt inherited a team struggling with internal divisions, outdated working practices and a prolonged championship drought. Ferrari had not won a Drivers’ Championship since 1979, and restoring the Scuderia’s competitiveness required wholesale restructuring.
Progress began quickly. Gerhard Berger delivered Ferrari’s first Grand Prix victory in four years at the 1994 German Grand Prix, although Benetton and Williams continued to dominate Formula One.
Recognising the need for long-term stability, Todt persuaded reigning World Champion Michael Schumacher to join Ferrari for the 1996 season.
Schumacher immediately demonstrated Ferrari’s renewed potential with victories in Spain, Belgium and Italy. Todt strengthened the project further by recruiting technical masterminds Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne from Benetton, creating one of Formula One’s most successful leadership teams.
Although Ferrari narrowly missed out on the Drivers’ Championships in 1997, 1998 and 1999, the foundations had been firmly established.
The breakthrough came in 1999 when Ferrari won the Constructors’ Championship despite Schumacher missing much of the season through injury.
That success launched one of the greatest eras in Formula One history.
From 2000 to 2004, Schumacher won five consecutive World Drivers’ Championships while Ferrari secured six straight Constructors’ Championships. The team established a level of dominance rarely seen in modern motorsport and rewrote numerous Formula One records.
CEO and Special Advisor at Ferrari
Todt’s responsibilities continued to expand as Ferrari’s success grew.
In June 2004, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Ferrari while retaining responsibility for the racing division.
Following the conclusion of the 2006 Formula One season and Michael Schumacher’s first retirement, Todt stepped back from day-to-day management to become Special Advisor to Scuderia Ferrari.
He oversaw the transition to Stefano Domenicali, who assumed leadership of the Formula One team at the beginning of 2008.
Todt formally left his advisory position in March 2008, although he remained a Ferrari board member for another year before ending all official roles with the company in March 2009.
FIA Presidency
Before standing for election, Todt broadened his involvement in international road safety initiatives by becoming President of the FIA’s “eSafety Aware!” campaign in April 2009.
In July that year, he officially announced his candidacy for the FIA Presidency with the backing of outgoing President Max Mosley. His main challenger was 1981 World Rally Champion Ari Vatanen.
At the FIA General Assembly in October 2009, Todt won the election with 135 votes to Vatanen’s 49.
He secured second and third terms without opposition in 2013 and 2017, remaining President until December 2021 before handing over to Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
During his twelve years in office, Todt focused heavily on improving global road safety, expanding grassroots motorsport, promoting sustainability and strengthening the FIA’s international role beyond racing.
United Nations Special Envoy
In April 2015, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Todt as the UN Special Envoy for Road Safety.
The appointment recognised his long-standing commitment to reducing road deaths through education, legislation and improved vehicle safety.
Following the appointment of António Guterres as Secretary-General, Todt was reappointed in 2017, continuing to lead international road safety initiatives around the world.
Other Activities
Beyond motorsport, Todt has devoted significant time to charitable, humanitarian and public service work.
He is a founding member and Vice-President of the Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), a leading French medical research institute specialising in brain and spinal cord disorders.
Since 2009, he has served on the Board of Trustees of the FIA Foundation, while also holding leadership positions with the Suu Foundation and acting as a board member of the International Peace Institute.
Todt was Malaysia’s Tourism Ambassador between 2009 and 2015 and has contributed to the International Olympic Committee through its Commission for Public Affairs and Social Development through Sport.
Since 2018, he has served on the board of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens.
His business interests include board positions with Gaumont, Groupe Lucien Barrière and Edmond de Rothschild SA.
Todt has also been Honorary President of the Federazione Auto Motoristica Sammarinese (FAMS) since 2003 and serves as Ambassador of the Republic of San Marino.
In addition, he holds honorary membership of both the Automobile Club de France and the prestigious Polo de Paris, recognising his lifelong contribution to motorsport and international sporting development.
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