In a remarkable move, the ex-Ferrari boss brought in Michael Schumacher from Benetton, skillfully persuading Ross Brawn to join the ranks of the Italian team. In the subsequent years, his ambitious vision bore fruit as Ferrari underwent a significant revitalization. Thanks to Jean Todt’s inspiring leadership, Ferrari went on to claim the Constructors’ Championship an impressive eight times.

Todt’s challenge was to lead Ferrari back to success at a time when the team was experiencing some of the worst days in its history. The Scuderia had won no driver’s championship since 1979. Todt set about restructuring the management of the Racing Division. Today, we discover more about what exactly Horner meant.

In the recent episode of the ESPN Unlapped podcast, Christian Horner has some blunt things to share with us. It revolves around a special Ferrari entity, who he feels would be quite “ruthless”. Ruthless in terms of a Drive to Survive-esque fashion. We’re talking about the legendary Ferrari Principal Jean Todt. Under his leadership, Michael Schumacher won five consecutive championships, from 2000 to 2004, and 72 of his 91 victories.

When asked if DTS, was made in 2006 or 2007, who does he think would have been like the Gunther Steiner-style kind of cult era if they had done it two decades earlier, Horner Replied: “Jean Todt would just be ruthless in his protection of Ferrari and all things Ferrari, totally uncompromising.” 

“Nobody Can Beat Him”: Max Verstappen’s Supremacy Compared to Michael Schumacher’s Magical Season in Elite Compliment

As made clear by Horner and backed by all the facts, there could not have been a better person at the Scuderia’s helm. And that too at a time the team needed him the most. And Horner, being as straightforward as he is, recently announced another major lack on the FIA’s side.

Christian Horner on Surpassing Mercedes and Ferrari’s Expectations

Red Bull Racing’s spectacular ascent in Formula 1 brings Christian Horner, the team boss, immense satisfaction as they toppled Mercedes’ long-standing dominance. In the 2023 F1 season, Red Bull remains undefeated, with Verstappen securing victory in 10 races and Perez triumphing in 2, putting them on course for a third consecutive driver’s title and a second constructors’ title.

As per a GPBlog.com article, Horner playfully recalls Mercedes’ “prison sentence” of seven years of dominance, but Red Bull persevered, excelling on specific circuits until they acquired a competitive power unit, finally able to challenge Mercedes head-on. Horner candidly admits their surprise at the substantial lead they gained over their rivals. Interestingly, the sheer magnitude of their lead over other F1 teams came as a pleasant surprise to Red Bull. Horner admits, “In February, we knew we had a good car, but we expected Ferrari to build on last year, and we expected Mercedes to be there also. It completely took us by surprise how competitive we were compared to our opponents.”

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