Jean Todt walks through the Barcelona paddock with the seasoned air of someone who has spent a lifetime navigating the corridors of the pinnacle of motorsport. Attending the launch of the commemorative book “Emozioni. I 500 GP di Pirelli nel Campionato del Mondo di F1,” the former Ferrari managing director and FIA President—who now serves as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety—shared his reflections on the past, present, and future of racing.
While many paddock observers speak of a radical revolution taking over Formula 1, Todt views the sport’s current trajectory as a completely natural evolution. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he stated: “Many people talk about a revolution in F1, as if we were standing in front of something completely different compared to the past. But for me, it is not like that. It is an evolution, not a revolution. There have been changes that have led to great successes, which I am happy about, but the heart of Formula 1 remains the same.”
The Frenchman firmly rejects any sense of nostalgia for bygone eras because, as he puts it, “life goes on and great things can be achieved every single day.” For Todt, life is like a movie in constant motion; those who stop adapting to change risk being left behind. He considers himself deeply fortunate to have experienced so many distinct, highly successful eras in racing, which today allows him to apply that exact same passion to his global humanitarian work: “I consider myself a very lucky man because I was able to spend my life doing things that I loved very much, in different sectors and where I also had a certain amount of success.”
The Ferrari golden years and a legacy of leadership
When looking back at his historic career, Todt explicitly defines his time at Maranello as the ultimate pinnacle of his professional life: “Working at Ferrari was the most important chapter of my working history. 16 years of my life spent working hard, even 16 hours a day, without ever missing a single day. A lot of hardships but unforgettable satisfactions. Ferrari is one of a kind: winning with the red car is perhaps more difficult, but certainly more rewarding.”
Among his greatest professional achievements, he ranks resurrecting the iconic Italian brand and returning them to winning ways at the top of the list: “So many things, starting from the fact of having brought back an important team like Ferrari to winning again. And then, certainly, seeing many guys who worked with me who today have earned positions of great importance in Formula 1: seeing Stefano Domenicali at the head of F1 is an incredible pride, as well as Laurent Mekies leading Red Bull, Mattia Binotto at Audi, and Andrea Stella at McLaren. I take no credit for them, but I am happy to have shared part of their journey.”
Regarding the current state of Scuderia Ferrari, Todt prefers to remain tight-lipped to avoid drawing unnecessary comparisons, though he continues to hold the team in the highest regard: “I prefer not to talk about it, because it makes no sense to create comparisons. The only thing I want to say is that I wish, and always will wish, the very best for Ferrari. Here in the paddock, passing in front of their hospitality, I noticed some guys from the team who smiled at me as soon as they saw me. It is special for me to have been able to contribute to this great history.”
Kimi Antonelli: A phenomenon for Italian motorsport
Turning his attention to the current grid, Jean Todt spoke with immense enthusiasm about young championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Although he has not yet met the Mercedes prodigy face-to-face, he recognizes him as a generational talent: “I don’t know Kimi Antonelli personally but he is a boy of enormous talent, and the results say so. Surely, credit must also be given to the car he drives, because the Mercedes this year is fantastic, but things in F1 always go together: a great driver in a great car.”
Todt noted how impressively the young Italian has managed the intense weight of expectation, especially after facing a steeper learning curve last season: “Last year he struggled more, but he grew the right way, and he resisted very well a situation that was also psychologically not simple. I see him as polite, kind, humble, so I give him my most sincere best wishes. I think it is very beautiful for you in Italy, because you were dreaming of having a top-level driver for a very long time, and now you finally have him.”
In summary, Jean Todt’s ringing endorsement of Andrea Kimi Antonelli highlights a seismic cultural shift for Italian F1 fans, who finally have a home-grown title contender to rally behind after years of waiting. By drawing parallels to the elite internal structures he constructed during Ferrari’s golden era, Todt reinforces the timeless racing truth that championship success requires a perfect alignment between human talent and mechanical excellence. As Antonelli continues to absorb intense psychological pressure while leading the 2026 world championship, his development under Toto Wolff’s guidance represents the exact type of natural technical evolution that keeps the historic heart of Formula 1 beating.
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