DECEMBER 29, 2000

Montezemolo says that Todt will stay

FERRARI President Luca di Montezemolo says that the team's sporting director Jean Todt will be staying with the team nut there are no details as to how long this will be for. Todt's contract is believed to run out at midseason and there has been considerable speculation (some of which has clearly been designed by Todt himself) suggesting that the Frenchman is planning to move on. Todt was spotted in deep conversation with a number of Renault men at the FIA Prizegiving Gala in Monte Carlo at the start of December, leading to speculation that he might be given A.A. role in Renault's F1 plans for the future, perhaps even as a shareholder in a Renault-controlled Minardi.

Montezemolo is keen to hold together the team which won the World Championship for Ferrari but is facing an uphill struggle as technical director Ross Brawn and chief designer Rory Byrne both have contracts which run out this year. Montezemolo himself says that he would like a rest and the sentiment seems to be widespread through the rest of the Ferrari empire.