“Fortune favors the brave” is a proverb that really rings true with Scuderia Ferrari in F1. Throughout their history, the Italian giants have taken bold, ambitious, and, at times, controversial decisions that have come to define their legacy.

And more recently, it has been reported that Ferrari turned down a reunion with a monumental figure from their past; somebody who took them to the highest mountain in the sport, somebody whose exit started a silent downfall that resulted in a huge bang in 2020.

The person in question here is former FIA President Jean Todt. He served Ferrari from 1993 to 2008, taking over the team in a bad shape and slowly turning them into one of the biggest dynasties in history.

So why would Ferrari, who are again in somewhat of a similar situation as they were in 1993, turn down someone of the history, of the experience, and of the influence of Jean Todt?

A calculated decision by Ferrari

The main reason the team with the prancing horse decided against a reunion with their former boss is simply that John Elkann decided against it. Elkann is the Executive Chairman of Ferrari and the CEO of Exor, the parent company of Scuderia Ferrari.

Although it isn’t clear why Elkann decided against signing Todt, it’s not that hard to grasp several blocks that would’ve stood in their way had they signed him.

First of all, when Todt left Ferrari in 2008, it wasn’t on the best terms. Even when he was appointed as the FIA President, the relationship between the Frenchman and the Italian team was ‘chilly.’

And then there’s the extremely secret and somewhat mythical ‘private agreement’ from 2019 that neither FIA nor Ferrari have come out with an explanation of.

Lastly, hiring Jean Todt, somebody who recently stepped down from the apex position of the governing body of F1 would’ve been slightly controversial, to put it mildly.

But if the several reports of Ferrari’s 2022 car’s potential are to be believed, then it seems the Italian giants won’t need a ‘super advisor.’ More so now since team principal Mattia Binotto is freer than ever from corporate interference and the relative pressure of the job.

Right now Ferrari is staring into a bright future. And history has it that whenever the Italian team has made a bold decision, they’ve gone on to succeed.

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