Jean Todt, president of the FIA and former team principal of Ferrari, has admitted he personally made the decision to settle the governing body’s dispute with the Scuderia over allegations its engine regularly breached the fuel-flow limit during the 2019 Formula 1 season.
Per a report from the Daily Mail, a letter from the FIA to the seven teams protesting the settlement revealed that Todt — who was a key figure in Ferrari’s upper management from 1994-2009 — was ultimately behind the decision to enact such a measure instead of opting to pursue it further.
“Three options were available — closing the case, bringing the matter before the International Tribunal or entering into a settlement — and such decisions fall to the president of the FIA, in accordance with the FIA judicial and disciplinary rules,” the letter stated.
“The president informed and consulted with several other key FIA officials as well as the Formula One CEO [Chase Carey] with the objective of building a consensus on how best to address the case.
“He (the president) solicited and received recommendations from the FIA technical, legal and financial teams and also took advice from an external experienced attorney.”
Writing in his own letter, Carey maintained he had “no part” in the investigation, nor its outcome, but nonetheless supported the FIA’s resolution.
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