Todt backs Ferrari to bounce back

FIA president Jean Todt has backed his former team, Ferrari, to bounce back in formula one.

Now in charge of the sport’s governing body, 68-year-old Frenchman Todt oversaw Ferrari’s revival from the slump of the mid-90s to the dizzying heights of the Michael Schumacher era.

Today, Ferrari is in another period of turmoil and slump, but as he attended this week the 110-year anniversary of Italy’s automobile club Aci, Todt backed the Maranello marque to bounce back.

Quoted by Corriere dello Sport, he said Ferrari is a "mythical brand, prestigious (and) part of the history of motor racing in Italy and the world".

So when asked if Ferrari will win again soon, Todt answered: "I hope so and I’m cheering for it."

He said Sergio Marchionne, having replaced Ferrari’s long-time president Luca di Montezemolo, is "a great leader and has proved it" by reviving Fiat and Chrysler.

Fiat chairman John Elkann, meanwhile, singled out Todt as a reference for Ferrari, as the Maranello team is "working hard to bring Ferrari back to where Jean Todt left us".