05/07/2004
NEWS STORY
Following a strategic tour-de-force at Magny-Cours, and with the victory Champagne still glistening on his brow, Jean Todt sat down to answer some questions.
Was the result more enjoyable because Renault had pushed particularly hard? "A lot of teams pushed us hard to make the extra effort today," he replied, "even the tyre companies, so it was a difficult race, very difficult, with ten drivers on the same lap at the end.
"I think it's been a while since we saw a race like that," he continued. "We had to come up with quite a daring strategy. Rubens also took a risk overtaking and that brought us an extraordinary win: the ninth win for Ferrari and Michael in ten Grands Prix, so it was something quite unique. Rubens has scored points in ten Grands Prix since the start of the season, so it was pretty satisfying."
It's been a good day, would you congratulate those who fought to save the French Grand Prix? "Of course," he replies, "at one time there was possibility that we might lose this race, but a lot of people have worked hard, first of all Jacques Regis who is the president of the FFSA and he has demonstrated that he was right and that has resulted in a great Grand Prix."
Winning is always great, does this victory Magny -Cours taste particularly good, given the conditions in which it was won? "No, not really a particularly taste," he smiles. "It's a magnificent victory like many other wins which we had the privilege to have won in the past few years. So it was won in conditions that were very tight and difficult but it isn't a win that is greater than any others.
It was a great strategy, four stops, when did you decide to use it? "We knew since Friday that because of the situation to begin with that it was a possibility," he reveals. "Because of the way the race turned out, we knew that we had that option among others."
So ultimately, who decided it? "It was the engineers with the facts available to them," he replies. "It was a decision that came from those people on the pit wall and who used the information that we had worked out several days ago.
"There was the risk of finishing second," he continues, "so finally we directed our intentions in this direction, hoping that it would work, but it was obvious that it would work.
But what of Schumacher, he is a significant link in 'the chain'. "At the other end of the chain there are the mechanics who put the engines together, who build the cars, so Michael isn't at the end of the chain, he's simply the tip of the iceberg but it's a very high peak. But you need a lot of people, hundreds of people behind him who earn the success for Michael, the success of Ferrari, the success of Barrichello."
Are you proud today of leading this team? "No," he replies, leaning forward to emphasise the point. "Frankly today doesn't make my pride any bigger than it was two weeks ago. I'm very proud to be the patron of Ferrari, the leader of the team and I love the men who work in this team and our partners who help us.
Before this race were you a little worried that some rival teams could move closer to you and now are you more relieved? "We knew that the second part of the season would probably be closer and it will be, this was a very tight race. Saying that, all the package has been outstanding."
Once again, tell us some more about today's strategy, when did you first consider a four-stop strategy here? "As I said before, it was prepared by the engineers, by Ross and all the group, working on that with the computer, with the information, with the tyre degradation and of course you had to adapt that, depending what was happening with the others: tyre degradation, strategy which you don't know, so it was part of that.
"We had to take some risk because otherwise nothing was granted, that we would be able with Michael or that he would be able to overtake Alonso. So probably the only way that had to be attempted was one more fuel stop, pit stop."
"Before the race, did you consider it likely that you would run a four stop schedule? "It was a possibility, depending on the evolution of the race, the development of the race," he replies. "If three or four cars would have been four, five, seconds behind, there was no way we could have tried a fourth pit stop but at this time, when it was decided, Trulli was over 20 seconds behind. It helped to make the decision."
Do you believe you could have won on a three stop? "I have no idea."
How does this compare to Hungary '98, because it was a similar circumstance, you won on strategy? "That was three, this was three and four. We have had many more three pit stops since we put on board fuel for qualifying laps."
But was it a similar achievement to Hungary '98? "We knew it was going to be a 70 lap race," he replies, "we knew, but again, when you see that ten cars finished on the same lap, if you take the quickest lap times, it's quite close.
"You have said that the partnership with Bridgestone, is it your biggest worry and that the Michelins could find an advantage or do you think that the way the arrangement works with Michelin, that they equally treat BAR, Renault and Williams means that they will always be fighting amongst themselves? "If Michelin would produce a tyre which is more consistent and quicker, it is easy to see how many cars would be in front of us," he responds.
"At least we need to be equal. We know at the moment that on one lap, they are maybe performing a bit better, but then, on durability and consistency, Bridgestone is better. We had high temperatures, if you look at last year, it's amazing how much Bridgestone has been working with Ferrari to improve the situation."
Are you disappointed that we've kept the current qualifying system beyond Silverstone rather than change it? "I would say that personally, I signed for Ferrari because we didn't want to be the only one not to sign," he says. "I always feel it's better to start the season with new rules rather than starting and changing. But maybe it could make the things, in a way, less unpredictable because normally you have all the opportunities to make a clear, each session but on the other hand, we have started the season like that, and I don't think there is a crucial reason what to do. But again, if everybody wants to do it, we will not go against that.
Do you feel that there's pressure to change it again? "I signed a paper, so for me, I am bound by my signature, so even if, as I say to you, we are not so much in favour of changing, I signed the paper and I will commit to my signature."
Where does Max Mosley's departure leave Formula One. Are you concerned about his departure in October? "I think it's a big loss for the FIA because, you may like his way of working, dislike it, but his commitment is hard to find. To get somebody who spends 12 hours every day free of charge in his office who is trying to be on top of all the problems. That is quite unique.
"But people very often they rather complain rather than rating everything that he has been doing. When you see everything he's been doing on safety - but not alone, together with the teams - it's fantastic, fantastic and to find somebody knowing the sport, the rules, the interpretation of the rules. It was the combination of being a lawyer and being a sportsman, and this combination is unique and very difficult to find and you know very well, to have the teams agreeing something is almost impossible, so sometimes you have to be unpopular and to decide for them but honestly, I don't see which decisions we could really blame on him.
"Sometimes he's a bit provocative, but in our world you have to be provocative. You say you want to have two engines for the whole season and then you end up with one engine for two races, starting with one engine for one race. So you have to be very strong and then you get something. Honestly, he's applying some principles depending on the people. If we would agree things most of the time, he would not have done what he has done."
Is he right that most of the problems will be sorted out before he goes, that by October his mission will be complete, the changes will be made? "The regulations for the 2005 championship, but it's still very late. I hope that we have a clear view much earlier about what is going to happen, because Ross can tell you that if we know what the technical rules have to be for 2005 in October it's too late. If you have one engine for one race or for two races, in October, if you only start to work in October, it's too late, so we need to know much earlier."
Does Max's retirement change your attitude towards the job because it was rumoured… "You always want me to answer to rumours," he cuts in, "I already answered to rumours. I am the managing director of Ferrari, I am the team principal of the Formula One team, I have a contract until the end of 2006, and I'm well paid to do it, and I do it with people I love. Honestly, tell me what would be the advantage for me? To pretend. You have to be elected. To pretend. To work. Take my position at Ferrari, and if you take what I could pretend to work, free of charge, with people with whom you can never find an agreement, so really there is no reason and I think I do a very difficult job, but with fantastic people, in a fantastic company, and again, well paid. You know: visibly. I may be popular, or not popular, but everybody knows that I am not looking to be under the spotlights. I like success, I like winning races, selling cars now, improving organisation, but to be under the spotlight is controversy. I don't see what is my interest."
Q: Ron Dennis said yesterday that Max's interpretation of article 7.5, to push changes through on the grounds of safety was perhaps being wrongly used, it was the wrong interpretation. Do you think Max is right to use the Concorde Agreement to make changes? "He has no other way to change something."
Is there extra pressure, is it better or worse that you've now got a time limit in which to make change? Is that going to make it easier or harder for the teams? "We at Ferrari, we are not asking for any changes," he replies. "We can make some improvements, but with most of things we are happy. But, Max gets a lot pressure, not only from the teams to change things. So he's reacting… If everybody would be sure to commit in 2005 and 2006, to half the budget, half the organisation, he would not ask for anything in my opinion, but he's under a lot of pressure.
"The problem is everyone has a different proposal, has different thinking, different goals so at the end of the day, he must see what is the best compromise he can propose which would be acceptable to the majority of the people."
Do you think the teams should write the rules or should Max write the rules? !There is a meeting on Tuesday of the technical working group," he replies, "you know very well, the wording of the Concorde Agreement, so if the agreement is acceptable by the teams and you need a minimum of eight out of ten votes in favour of a solution, or against a solution, and then if those proposals are accepted by the FIA because the FIA think it does answer the problem, there is no problem. Where there is a problem, if it is not this understanding."