Ferrari today concluded its assembly of shareholders at which Jean Todt stepped down as chief executive officer. Todt was originally hired to head the F1 racing team in 1993, was promoted to general manager of the company in 2003 and CEO in 2006. After relinquishing the role of general manager to Amedeo Felisa in 2006, Todt handed over control of the Scuderia to Stefano Domenicali at the start of this year.
Felisa will now also succeed Todt as CEO. Meanwhile Todt will stay on in certain limited capacities for Ferrari, including a seat on the board, the presidency of both Ferrari Asia Pacific and Ferrari West Europe as well as representation of the Scuderia on the FIA World Council. Todt announced that he had stayed on as chief executive only until company president Luca di Montezemolo completed his term as head of industrial group Confindustria, and that he was now moving on to dedicate more time to himself and his other interests. The shareholders also re-elected Montzemolo as president and Piero Ferrari as vice-president, while renewing the terms of all 13 directors, including Montzemolo, Ferrari, Todt and Felisa as well as Fiat chief Sergio Marchionne, Sergio Pininfarina and seven other board members.
Michael Schumacher will retire from race driving at the end of the 2006 World Championship. Whatever the final result of this year’s championship, he leaves Formula 1 holding almost all the records. To date, he has taken seven Drivers’ world titles and has contributed to the same number of team wins in the Constructors’ Championship. He has taken part in 247 Formula 1 Grands Prix (178 of them at the wheel of a Ferrari,) won 90 (71,) been on pole 68 (58) times, setting 75 (52) fastest race laps. He has amassed a total of 1354 points, 1051 of them in a Maranello car. No one in the world of motor racing has done better.
Following his decision, the only record that will elude him is the one for the number of race starts. He will be able to reach the 250 mark, just six short of the record held by Riccardo Patrese. Schumacher has been with Scuderia Ferrari for eleven seasons, a demonstration of loyalty without equal in Formula 1, to date securing five of his Drivers’ titles here and contributing to six of the team’s Constructors’ titles. No other driver has ever won as much with the Scuderia.
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