Jean Todt remains coy about his future at the helm of Ferrari’s formula one team.
Persistently strong rumours indicate that the Frenchman, who also guided the Italian squad’s golden period early this century with Michael Schumacher, has fallen out over Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo over his separate vision for the future of the Prancing Horse.
According to speculation, Todt is particularly at odds with Montezemolo’s desire to unite Fernando Alonso with Ferrari with Ross Brawn at the helm, presumably at the expense of Felipe Massa, who is managed by Todt’s son Nicolas.
Todt, 61, dodged a question about his future at Interlagos last Friday.
“Each thing at a time,” he told reporters.
Todt added: “Even with a very strong change in the team, Ferrari has remained very competitive, very strong and very united together, very good atmosphere, so that is what we wanted to achieve and that is our main objective to achieve, with or without me.”
He was asked a similar question about his future at Ferrari by reporters after the race, in which Kimi Raikkonen clinched the first title in the Maranello based outfit’s post-Schumacher period.
“My future now with the team is to have a quick dinner with them tonight, which was already planned. I need to fly later to Europe, so that is my nearest future,” he answered.
Less teasingly, Todt added that it is not yet “the proper time” to address his longer term future at the helm of the famous team.
But he suggested: “The final result (of the 2007 championship) is not going to affect my personal choices.”
