Todt could hand over reigns to Brawn

UPDATE #2 Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo confirmed that his team's F1 structure will be announced by the end of the year and it is expected at that point the team will clear up all the speculation around whether Jean Todt will move to an executive role on the road car side of the business and whether Ross Brawn will return as F1 team principal. "As always with Jean Todt we will announce the structure of Ferrari at the end of the year," di Montezemolo said. "But the strength of the company is the stability of its men, the growth of our people, our technicians, our engineers, the whole team, inside the sports management and the company itself."

10/26/07 (GMM) Luca di Montezemolo has proffered an indistinct denial to rumors that Jean Todt's reign at the helm of the Ferrari team is nearing an end.

Frenchman Todt, who has led the Maranello based marque's sporting arm since 1993, is also currently CEO of the entire Ferrari organization.

"Until further notice he will carry on doing that, while also having the Gestione Sportiva under his wing," di Montezemolo, Ferrari president, said after a Fiat Group board meeting earlier this week.

It is rumored that Todt and Montezemolo may have fallen out, amid the latter's apparent desire to see Ross Brawn return from sabbatical in charge of the famous formula one team in 2008.

"In any case, we'll announce the team organization for 2008 at Christmas," the Italian added.

Jean Todt

10/24/07 (GMM) Jean Todt remains coy about his future at the helm of Ferrari's formula one team. Persistently strong rumors 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."