The former FIA (International Automobile Federation) president, Jean Todt, revealed that he declined an invitation to join Red Bull after leaving Ferrari. In an interview with the High Performance Podcast, he said he was approached by the team’s founder, Dietrich Mateschitz:
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“When I left Ferrari, Dietrich Mateschitz wanted me to join Red Bull. I said no, that phase of my life was already over. I had taken an iconic brand to success and felt I could not surpass that achievement. I was ready to dedicate myself to new challenges,” he said.
Todt was one of the main figures behind Ferrari’s dominant phase in the early 2000s, when Michael Schumacher won five consecutive titles between 2000 and 2004. He left the team principal position in 2008, being replaced by Stefano Domenicali, and left the team definitively in 2009.
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Without the Frenchman, Red Bull continued to rise under the leadership of Christian Horner, winning four consecutive drivers’ and constructors’ titles between 2010 and 2013.
During the interview, Todt also compared leadership styles, drawing a contrast between his approach and Horner’s. The Frenchman acknowledged the importance of the Briton’s work in establishing Red Bull as one of Formula 1’s main forces, highlighting his ability to lead the team in victorious campaigns over the years.
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