'I can’t interfere': Former Ferrari boss reveals Christian Horner and Toto Wolff reached out to him after 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi GP

Former Ferrari boss and FIA president Jean Todt recently revealed how Red Bull and Mercedes team principals Christian Horner and Toto Wolff called him shortly after the 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi GP. Since Todt was the FIA president at the time of that chaotic and controversial race, both team principals called him and urged him to change the result.

Speaking to Corriere della Serra, the former Ferrari team boss explained how it wasn't the job of the FIA president to make changes to the race's results. Furthermore, he provided the apt example of Gianni Infantino, the head of football's governing body, FIFA, and what he used to say about penalties:

“I didn’t do anything, it’s not the role of the president of the FIA. Referees must be autonomous, have you ever heard Infantino say ‘Here there was a penalty, but not here?'”

Furthermore, Todt revealed how he got a call from both Christian Horner and Toto Wolff after the 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi GP. Both urged Todt to step in and change the race result. However, he declared that he wouldn't interfere and that it was the job of the marshals and the race director to look into the controversial race and its result:

“I watched the race in the country house together with the crew. They call me, Horner and Wolff, and I answered them: ‘I can’t interfere, it’s the responsibility of the marshals and the race director’.”

Three days after the last race of the 2021 F1 season, Jean Todt stepped down as FIA president, with Mohammed Ben Sulayem taking his place. During Todt's campaign, however, the FIA issued a statement revealing that they would initiate a detailed analysis and clarification regarding the race result with all the relevant parties.

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Ferrari team boss feels that Red Bull's cost cap penalty was 'not heavy' enough

New Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur feels that the cost cap penalty that was imposed on Red Bull wasn't heavy enough. He explained how the team would be able to use the time and money that was saved from the wind tunnel tests penalty in some other departments and improve nonetheless:

"I think the penalty imposed was not so heavy. A tenth of an hour less to use in the wind tunnel is a tenth, but in the end, if you can't use the tunnel, you move that budget to another area, you're still allowed to spend that money somewhere else. In the end, I don't think it makes that much difference."

While Red Bull have taken a huge step forward, Ferrari took a step back in 2023. Based on this, it's safe to say that the cost cap penalty hasn't affected the Austrian-British team in any way so far.