Todt reveals Red Bull approach – and explains why he said no
Originally published by F1i
What if Jean Todt had said yes? It’s a question that lingers over Formula 1 history after the former Ferrari mastermind revealed he was once invited to help shape the future of Red Bull – and chose to walk away instead.
At a time when one chapter of dominance had just closed and another was yet to fully begin, the sport could have looked very different had Todt accepted the offer from Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz.
Todt’s legacy at Ferrari is firmly established. Between 1993 and 2007, he oversaw one of the most successful eras in Formula 1 history, delivering seven constructors’ championships and six drivers’ titles before stepping aside and eventually leaving the company in 2008.
But as he stepped away from Maranello, an unexpected opportunity emerged – one that, in hindsight, might have rewritten the competitive order of the sport.
"I decided in 2008 that it was time to give something back," Todt explained during an appearance on the High Performance podcast. "My interest is to give something back.
"Incidentally, I remember when I left Ferrari, Dietrich Mateschitz wanted me to join, so he came to have lunch at home in Paris with me twice."
Red Bull, at that stage, was still building toward what would become a championship-winning force. The idea of pairing its ambitious project with the architect of Ferrari’s golden era presents a tantalizing “what if” – a fusion of vision, resources, and proven leadership.
Why Todt chose a different path
The proposal was not a minor advisory role. Mateschitz had something far more significant in mind.
"To run the team and to run the motorsport activities of Red Bull. And I said no because for me, this chapter was over,” Todt admitted.
For the future FIA president, the decision was less about the appeal of the project and more about timing – and closure.
"I was running an iconic brand with success. So in a way, I could not do better, and I wanted to do other things,” he added.
“And it was time for me to give something back. It was a part of my life, and it's still the part of my life where I want to give something back."
Rather than jump straight back into the high-pressure world of Formula 1 team management, Todt chose to step away from the competitive cycle that had defined much of his career.
His reasoning extended beyond motorsport, reflecting a broader perspective shaped by years at the pinnacle of the sport.
"In some worlds, when there is competitiveness, money, people forget that,” Todt concluded.
“That's why it is important to travel to see poverty, to see people who don't have access to medical care, people who don't have access to public transportation, and to try to give a little hand.
"It would be very presumptuous to say that we are changing the world, but even giving a little, see the eyes of people who are in need, who smile, make people smile, it's a win. It's a different win, but I think it is very important."