Formula 1 News

Jean Todt: “No space for Alonso under my administration” 

Ferrari’s F1 Team general manager, Jean Todt, makes the point on current team status and indicates the future scenarios for a car in seek of reliability after Michael Schumacher’s retirement.

It’s a strange Ferrari this year’s one. The team managed to win half of disputed Grand Prix’s, to gain 4 pole position in 6 races, even though it doesn’t convince yet. On one hand there’s Kimi Raikkonen who was supposed to be Michael Schumacher’s “super” replacement that races like drunk and after 6 races still has to “learn” the car; on the other hand, Felipe Massa who achieved more than we expected but right when we thought he was mature enough, he run out of Montreal’s pits while there was a BIG RED light. We knew that without Schumacher it wouldn’t have been easy. Therefore Jean Todt, Ferrari’s F1 Team general manager, has more situations to face just when he was thinking to leave definitely from the races. Being a tough nut, always in fight with the world and he himself, Todt has accepted to make his point on Ferrari’s Team.

Mr. Todt, did you expected such a long adaptation period from Kimi Raikkonen?
“First Grand Prix: pole position and victory. After 3 GP’s he was first in the Championship along with Alonso and Hamilton, on the fourth GP he would have been placed in second/third position but he retired from the race: it was our fault. In Monte Carlo, without the mistake he committed, he would have made a good race. Then Montreal’s GP, just a lottery”.

But we haven’t seen the real Raikkonen.
“This year’s new rules regarding the tires and the relative knowledge can be a reason. I would prefer the end of the season in order to judge him”.

Ferrari has one driver that runs a red light and another battling with “fog”: with Schumacher, where the team should have been?
“I don’t know, but Michael would have race as a protagonist, just as he did until his last GP. We have two really good drivers. Schumacher decided to retire and we have respected it. If he would have had the intention to race for another 3 years, he would have done that. He took his decision in Nürburgring, but we announced it in Monza”.

In Monte Carlo, you said that you consider Michael Schumacher your ideal successor as Ferrari’s Sporting Manager: based on what?
“I said also that the problem doesn’t persist, because it won’t ever happen, even if in life everything can change. Michael’s qualities?He knows to listen, he knows the people, he knows how to put them together, he has a great sensibility, he has personality. He’s a leader”.

Which is, today, you role in race strategies?
“If i don’t share i simply say so, but usually, decisions are taken by experienced people based on many elements. They never do mistakes”.

Montezemolo talked about Hamilton in not suspicious periods: ever thought getting him?
“I knew well Hamilton’s situation because in GP2 Series he was racing with a team i have contacts (his son Nicolas team, Art). During that period, he was already getting money from McLaren…”

Did someone is interested in buying Ferrari’s 2007 chassis for next year’s Championship?
“If they’ll ask us, we’ll evaluate it. This is not a priority”.

What about Alonso in Ferrari?
“He’s a good driver. In the past, contacts were made but there wasn’t any agreement. We have two drivers a 26yr and a 27ys old, i don’t want to change that. Ferrari, ain’t mine; In the future, when i’ll leave decisions will be taken by other people. Until then, there’s no space for Fernando Alonso”.