Todt cautions Red Bull, recalls Ferrari 2005 meltdown

Former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt has offered Red Bull a word of caution, urging the reigning world champions to remain vigilant amidst their unprecedented dominance in Formula 1.

Red Bull has established itself as the undisputed force in Formula 1 since the sport's regulation overhaul in 2022 and its return to ground effect aerodynamics.

With 39 wins in 44 races and back-to-back title doubles, the Milton-Keynes-based squad has shattered records and left the competition in their wake.

For Todt, Red Bull’s hegemony has drawn comparisons to Ferrari's six consecutive Constructors' Championships between 1999 and 2004, a period that marked Ferrari's zenith.

However, as the Frenchman vividly recalls, Ferrari's supremacy came crashing down in 2005 when a radical change to the rules – the introduction of a mandatory one-tyre set for the entirety of the race – threw the team off balance, the Scuderia losing out to both Renault and McLaren that year.

Todt, the man who presided over Ferrari’s golden era with Michael Schumacher behind the wheel, believes that Red Bull should heed this cautionary tale and remain wary of potential rule changes that could disrupt their current dominance.

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He stresses the importance of adaptability and the need to continuously innovate, as the landscape of Formula 1 is known for its unpredictability.

“I see similarities between both eras,” Todt told Italian newspaper Le Stampa. “Red Bull has created a winning team with a driver [Max Verstappen] who is extraordinary, very professional, intelligent and fantastic.

“Don’t you remember 2005? The same team, the same drivers after a season full of victories and although we had Schumacher, we stopped being competitive.

“We were fast again the following year, but we ended up losing the title due to reliability problems and before, Michael had already announced his retirement from Formula 1, although he then returned in 2010.

“In that period, we became World Champions again with Kimi [Raikkonen] in 2007 and we lost [the championship] in 2008 in the last few meters with Felipe [Massa].”

While Red Bull's current form is undeniable, Todt's advice serves as a reminder that even dynasties can crumble if they fail to adapt to changing circumstances.

The sport's history is replete with examples of teams that succumbed to complacency after achieving success, and Red Bull must be vigilant to avoid repeating these mistakes with a major regulation shake-up sitting on the horizon in 2026.

Ferrari’s 2023 campaign was marred by inconsistency, with the SF-23 proving to be a challenging machine to handle. However, the Scuderia was the only outfit to inflict a defeat to Red Bull thanks to Carlos Sainz’s dominant win in Singapore.

Fuelled by its determination to end its 16-year title drought, the Italian outfit is forging ahead with a revised car concept for the 2024 season, one that it hopes will see it reclaim its place at the pinnacle of Formula 1.

Todt, whose heart remains firmly entrenched in Maranello, unsurprisingly has a soft sport for Charles Leclerc, whose interests are managed by the former FIA president’s son Nicolas and his All Road Management company.

“Today, I support Leclerc,” commented Todt. “My son has followed him since he was racing in karting and he is a great driver.

“He deserves the opportunity to fight to win a World Championship in the future.”

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