Jean Todt on life as FIA president

Jean Todt's second-floor office at 8, Place de la Concorde, Paris enjoys a fabulous view across this storied city's most famous square. The Eiffel Tower peaks in the near distance; the Tuileries Garden stretches away to the left. Between the two, a constant swirl of bubbling capital-city existence, as a million Peugeots, Citroens, Renaults and Vespas vie for road space, creating a ceaseless soundscape that is the voice of Parisian joie de vivre.

The FIA President rarely has a moment to enjoy the scene, however. He's more taken with the vast, wall-consuming image hung directly and deliberately opposite his desk: a map of the world, marked with every FIA member club and colour coded to indicate those already visited, those to be visited this year and those on the list for 2012.

It's a world map, road map and life map for a man whose reputation has been built on getting things done, be that winning world championship rallies as co-driver to (among others) Ove Andersson, Hannu Mikkola and Guy Frequelin; or guiding Peugeot to world title success in rallying and sportscars; or pushing Ferrari to previously unimaginable levels of sustained excellence.

This is a restless man, used to driving others, and these days his charge is the governing body of motorsport. What, we ask, has been his experience in his first year-and-a-half as President of the FIA

AUTOSPORT: Given your background as a rally co-driver, then head of sport for Peugeot, then team principal at Ferrari, do you miss the buzz of running a racing organisation?

Jean Todt: I have been very fortunate. I am very active. I was a co-driver for 15 years and for me 1966-81 was my learning period. I was committed to finishing co-driving at the latest when I was 35, which I did. My ambition then was to run or to build a rally team. When I stopped, my last last rally in 1981 was the RAC and I think the end of the rally was on Thursday. On Friday morning I arrived at my office close to here, in Paris, at Peugeot. So there was just one overnight from being a co-driver, to being head of sport at Peugeot.

Then, when I moved from Peugeot to Ferrari, it was in 1993. I left my office on June 30 at 11pm after I had packed up my things. At 9am on July 1, a car picked me up with a Ferrari team uniform in it and took me to the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours, as team principal for Ferrari.

[Todt begins an aside]: You know, I will mention something here. The thing I was most proud of in the last part of my professional life at Ferrari is that when I joined, everyone gave me two years: "You will not have more than two years," they said.

And probably the most rewarding thing is that I decided after 16 years to leave, through my choice.

I thought then I would finally have time for me. And to enjoy other things I love. One of the reasons I wanted to leave my position is that it was taking too much time, and I really wanted to have more time for me. For example, I am involved in a medical institute that does research for brain and spinal cord injuries, which is a great project; and I really thought I would have more time for this and maybe working as a director on the board of a few companies.

Then I ended up being president of the FIA. And even though there was a much bigger gap from my last role to this one, now I have even less time. So I misjudged completely the position.

Todt's first major involment in motorsport was as a co-driver to legends like Hannu Mikkola © LAT

AS: Is that a reflection of your personality? You have a reputation for working very hard...

JT: I am a pusher. And I get frustrated when I do not see people pushing around me, because the only way to achieve success is to push. That's why I have a lot of admiration for new countries. I admire successful people because they have to be dedicated. I like people around me to be dedicated.

AS: Does this give rise to any regrets

JT: No, because there has always been a new challenge. Sometimes I think of this image - I like sometimes to make images. If you are driving fast - incidentally with speed limits now this is more difficult, particularly in my position - on the motorway, you do not have time to see what is on the side of the road, because you're going so quick. So you don't have time to look behind. It's a bit similar to that: if you go quick in your life, you do not have time to see or to say "I regret, this or that".

Maybe, if then if you stop for a while, which has happened sometimes to me, I might say I would have done some things differently and maybe this or that was not the best option or decision. But that has never lasted, because immediately you are taken back to day-to-day dealings.

AS: Is there anything in particular that stands out as a regret?

JT: Probably yes. Sometimes when you have people you love who go. Perhaps I should have spent more time with them, given them more attention and maybe not focused so much on having a successful professional life But probably one of the reasons I am committed with this medical institute is that it's a way of returning something to the others.

In our world, and before when I was a well-paid manager, I think it's a selfish job, even if you have good people around you, and humanly you are very close to your people. At the end of the day you are there for the success of the people who employ you and your own success.

That's why I have such a big admiration, for example, for doctors. They dedicate their life to others. In our business, you have the tendency to dedicate your life to you.

AS: It's clear that you have very wide view of the FIA and its activities, whereas your predecessor - rightly or wrongly - was criticised for focusing too heavily on Formula 1 in the latter years of his presidency. Your first 18 months have been very different and you've kept away from the spotlight. Is that deliberate

JT: I can answer you firstly by talking about Max [Mosley]. I have a lot of respect for him and he dedicated so much of his life to the FIA and to FIA initiatives and he really deserves credit for that. He had his own agenda, but it would be unfair to say he was only involved with F1. He was a big promoter of Euro NCAP, for example. And road safety. And all the safety improvements done on racing activities: he was behind that. So he has really been a big defender of safety.

You know, sometimes people can focus on maybe just one word you say or one aspect of what you do, instead of a lot of other things which are more essential. And I think it is true to say that when people speak about his legacy it does not always correspond to the reality.

Of course, clearly we are different - as people, our family backgrounds and so on, but I think Max has to be judged for what he did and how he did it and therefore respected for all his actions.

But it's a new era now. I'm a new president - well, maybe not so much new after 18 months - but if you look at my programme, very often you will see continuity.

I always said that I don't want to change things just because they were started by my predecessor. If I make a change I want it to be a constructive change. But if things have been implemented the way I would have done it, then it's just continuity.

What I really like is action. I don't feel a need to publicise very much about what I do and what we do. It has really never been my approach.

We have a saying in French: "to live happily, you must live hidden [pour vivre heureux, vivons caches]", which is not so easy in our business. But I do not think you need to focus on media. That doesn't necessarily mean I am right, and sometimes it's better to be known for your own personality and who you are, and sometimes if you do not communicate enough, people may have a misunderstanding of who you are. So that's a price to pay. But whatever you do, there is a price to pay and my style is not to appear very much.

Todt says he and Bernie Ecclestone have a good relationship © LAT

AS: Bernie Ecclestone has been quite outspoken recently, making some criticisms of the FIA. Why do you think that is?

JT: I have known Bernie for many years. And I like Bernie. But Bernie is Bernie. First of all I read some of his comments [on the eve of the Australian Grand Prix, Ecclestone dismissed Todt as "a poor man's Max Mosley"], but then if I speak to him he says: "Sorry I never said that."

So [smiling] do I believe what I read or what Bernie says to me? I don't know. One thing is sure: nobody will make me react to this. If he says to me: "it's not true", I have to believe him - I do not believe him always - but if it is true, then it's inappropriate. He should not say this kind of thing and I am sure he will not do it any more.

Anyway, we may have different views, which is completely acceptable. I am quite strong minded, but I like resistance, otherwise I would be surrounded by 'yes' men.

And I am quite strong in my ideas. Very often when we are talking about important decisions like, for example, the new F1 engine rules for 2013, it's nothing to do with a personal decision. It's a result of lengthy discussions with the engine manufacturers and potential future manufacturers, who show their proposals.

Then at the World Council, with the final decision makers, it was proposed to a vote which was unanimous. Bernie was part of that.

You know, Bernie has done some extraordinary work for F1. Not alone, because you never do something alone. But he has been a good director for F1 on the commercial side, although he needed to have a strong governing body and strong 'actors' with the teams and the drivers. And the result is a great one.

AS: The last year or so has been a much calmer period for F1. In 2009 we almost had a breakaway world championship, but now we have manufacturers beginning to return to the sport: Infiniti, Lada, Lotus, etc. Does F1 need manufacturers to support the massive investment that will be needed for greener engines and new technologies?

JT: I do not like the word 'massive'. Investment has to be economically correct. But of course, we need manufacturers and they need the sport. So it's a kind of combined situation. It's true to say as well that this situation is a part of our sport's history - manufacturers who come, who go, who come, who go. But it's very important that we never forget the interests of private teams, and smaller teams. I have a lot of respect for the three new teams who joined F1 in 2010. There were a lot of unfriendly comments, but I myself demonstrated respect for them. You must be very brave if you enter F1 as a private team. This is the pinnacle of motorsport.

Returning to your question: to have success you need harmony. You need to secure all the sporting and commercial communities and encourage them to join. That's why sometimes if you make a negative comment, it's against the interests of the whole community.

So we must not forget that we are, hopefully, just coming out of a terrible crisis - one of the most terrible economic crises in history. So if we want people to come back and join we must encourage them and demonstrate that F1 is strong and that all our sporting activities are strong and healthy with good futures and 'please join'.

Recently there has been an announcement in rallying, there has been an announcement in F1, so things are moving, which is great. This is a fantastic reward for what we are doing. If you are negative and create unnecessary conflict, you will simply discourage people from joining.

AS: You make it sound very simple.

JT: You know, the best things are the most simple things. And sometimes things are unnecessarily complicated.

Berger could have a future FIA role © LAT

AS: Moments before AUTOSPORT meets Jean Todt, Gerhard Berger left the president's office, smiling and obviously chipper. This bring us neatly to the question of a rumoured new role of F1 commissioner - floated by Todt during his election campaign and a position for which Berger was reckoned to be the leading candidate.

JT: In fact I was not talking only about the F1 commissioner and it was prior to my election, during the campaign. At that time I did not know fully how everything was working. So I took some advice and suggestions and among them was one that I should nominate one commissioner for each FIA World Championship. Now, having spent some time as president, and having reorganised the commissions in GT racing, the WRC and WTCC [not F1 as the F1 Commission is strong and well-structured], I felt it would have been doubling the roles to have a commissioner. For me, the potential need of a commissioner disappeared, so it's not part of the programme any more.

AS: So was Gerhard's visit was just a social call?

JT: Gerhard is a good friend of mine and it's true, he was one of the people mentioned in connection with this topic; I addressed him today. He could still make a very good contribution to the sport. At the moment he has other things he is dealing with, but I really hope that sooner or later he could have a role to play. Not specifically in the FIA - I think Gerhard is more interested to have his team, to have his business, and he is a very good businessman. But the reason he was here was mainly as a friend.

JT: Let's take a couple of steps back here. An evolution of rallying was probably needed, but, while I hate saying, "in the past it was better", in the case of the WRC I feel in some ways it was better. But times were different and you cannot forget that. What was true in the '70s, '80s and '90s is not necessarily correct for now. Also, it would be illogical to say "don't change anything" because then you would say to me "why implement four-cylinder turbo engines? Let's go to 12 cylinders!" So often change is necessary.

But I feel that the evolution of rallying to where it is now was probably too drastic. For me, a World Rally event must have endurance or adventure, so the format must be different to what we have now. I don't like going two or three times around the same stage, for example.

Just to create an unfriendly picture for a moment: these days it's kind of the union of motor racing: you start in the morning at 9am. You stop for lunch. You start again at 2pm and then at five or six you are back in parc firm. For me, this is not rallying. So I really want to have a review of the World Rally Championship and a review of the calendar as well.

That's why I am very happy to have a strong president of the WRC commission, working with the organisers of the 1000 Lakes Rally, and Michele Mouton with her strong past history of rallying, and to have a lot of other people as well - I am involved with it, also.

I am in favour of multi-country rallies and I'm very happy to see, for example, that next year we will have a Nordic Rally through Sweden and Norway, so we have some new ideas appearing.

As we said earlier, these things take time, but without going beyond 2013, I think that during my first mandate we can have a good evolution of rallying.

AS: A return to classic rallying in some respects...

JT: Yes. As much as we can.

AS: And that's consistent with the plan for a world engine?

JT: Yes, definitely. More endurance, more adventure. More durability. And it will go in the direction of being environment-friendly. And with reduced costs.

A revived World Sportscar Championship has not been ruled out © LAT

AS: What about sportscars? Is a return to a World Sportscar Championship on your agenda?

JT: As I said before, we are open to everything, as long as it corresponds to my famous parameters. We're really assessing what the opportunities are in this category. We are talking about this and reviewing the alternatives.

AS: So a World Sportscar Championship is possible?

JT: Yes. Anyway it's a potential idea which needs to be addressed.

AS: And what about an electric racing championship?

JT: We have to be careful with the word 'championship'. I want to be very elitist about FIA World Championships. But an electric series or category, yes.

Among the things I really want to re-assess is the path from the grass roots to F1. Ideally, if you are a very good driver, you go from go-karts to F1. But at the moment the way to arrive there is too complicated, so I really want to look at this. This is one of the reasons we created a Single Seater Commission with Barry Bland as commissioner. I want - and incidentally this week I am having an update on this - to encourage all kinds of commercial categories and series, but I want, under the leadership of the FIA, a strong way from go-karts to F1. And hopefully to include in this programme an electric car category.

AS: As a proper stepping stone?

JT: Yes.

AS: Towards the bottom or towards the top of the tree

JT: Our experts are discussing that and I do not know yet what is the scale they will present. But whether this category becomes the second or third level is not so important, as long as it's part of the different categories which go from go-karts to F1.

AS: And when would you like to introduce it?

JT: Quickly. 2013 at the latest.

AS: Day to day, do you feel you are making as much progress as you want to?

JT: Day to day is very difficult. I am permanently unsatisfied. I am too ambitious. So I always want more than what I have. But if I go back one year, I think we are moving in the right direction. But that's more for others to judge. We have to do the job, deliver as much as we can and then let the others judges what we are doing.

AS: Talking to you, one theme that comes through strongly is harmony. Is this very important to you?

JT: Yes. If you were to look at where I have been from 1981 to 2009, I have had the privilege to build or rebuild teams that were very strong. If you look at the success we had in rallying, rally raids, sportscars and F1, as I mentioned earlier, it was with very strong teams and harmony. If you spent some time with people with whom I worked from 1981 to 1993, they still think about the period as enjoyable. If you speak with people I was running at Ferrari, they still remember this period because it was successful and had good harmony. So it is not something new.

Being now in the FIA, this is what I want to achieve with the same ingredients and hopefully the same quality of results, but this time as an elected volunteer president of a federation.

AS: As a child, what drew you to motorsport

JT: My father was a doctor and for him a car was a way to visit his patients or to take us to the restaurant or to go on holiday. He didn't have an interest or a clue about cars. For me it was maybe in my genes, I don't know. And I still love cars, which is good. I am not at all blase, which is a very big satisfaction. I just went for a sandwich with Gerhard [Berger] and saw a nice car outside the office so I had a look at it. I am always the same, even if it's a car I have in my garage. I love cars.

AS: So you're still an enthusiast?

JT: Yes I am. Unfortunately I missed one or two grands prix last year because of travelling and the first thing I wanted to know when I got off the plane was the qualifying results. The same with rallying. I have always wanted to be informed about what's happening, because I enjoy it.