Jean Todt reveals Red Bull rejected approach after Ferrari exit. Former Ferrari boss Jean Todt has revealed he rejected an offer from Red Bull.

A long-lasting love story

When you hear the name Jean Todt, it is almost impossible not to picture him dressed in red and immediately think of Ferrari’s golden era during the Michael Schumacher years. Five consecutive Drivers’ World Championships and six Constructors’ titles wrote one of the most dominant chapters in Formula 1 history. However, that success came after a long build-up, with Todt’s work at Maranello beginning in 1993 and only delivering the first Constructors’ title eight years later. Over the years, the French manager was often questioned and criticised, but time ultimately proved him right.

Todt stepped down as team principal at the end of 2007 and left all operational roles at Ferrari in 2009, after 16 years with the team.

The backstory: Todt and the Red Bull offer

During a long conversation on the High Performance podcast, Jean Todt also revealed a little-known story: after leaving Ferrari, the former Scuderia boss received an offer from Red Bull to take charge of the Austrian company’s motorsport programme.

Here is Todt’s account: “When I left Ferrari, Dietrich Mateschitz wanted me to join Red Bull. He came to have lunch at my house in Paris twice. He was very committed, very interested. He did not like travelling, but he still came twice. He asked me to lead the team and manage Red Bull’s motorsport activities.”

Jean Todt made it clear he had no hesitation in his decision: “I told him no, that chapter for me was closed. I had successfully managed an iconic brand. In a way, I could not have done better. And I wanted to dedicate myself to other things.”

It was a classic Formula 1 sliding doors moment: Christian Horner, who had arrived in 2005, remained in charge at Red Bull, while Jean Todt went on to become FIA president in October 2009.

The revelation of Dietrich Mateschitz’s pursuit of Jean Todt therefore adds a layer of “what could have been” to the early years of the Red Bull dynasty. While Christian Horner eventually built a winning machine that rivaled Todt’s Ferrari, the thought of the Frenchman applying his disciplined Maranello blueprint to the then-upstart Milton Keynes squad is a scenario that would have undoubtedly sent shockwaves through the paddock.