A man who is no stranger to winning, Jean Todt succeeded Max Mosley as head of the FIA. While Mosley navigated his way through a series of crisis - personal and sporting - by forging close links to the media, Todt's approach has been to remain silent and invisible. His handling of the shambles surrounding the 2011 and 2012 Bahrain Grands Prix- - or more accurately his failure to provide a shred of leadership - led to him being savaged in the press amid calls for him to step down.

The son of a Jewish doctor who escaped from Poland to France in World War Two, Todt's first foray into racing was when he borrowed his father's Mini Cooper S and entered into a rally with school friend Jean-Claude Lefebvre. From that moment, Todt was hooked and became a professional co-driver; by 1969 he was competing on the international stage, co-driving for some of the top names in the world of rally driving.

In 1981 Todt retired from competition and set up Peugeot Talbot Sport. During his time as director of racing activities, the team won two manufacturers' and two drivers' titles. In honour of his achievements, Todt was awarded the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, the French equivalent of a knighthood.

However, Peugeot refused to enter F1, and when a position became available at the Ferrari team in 1993, Todt jumped at the chance. At the time, Ferrari were in the doldrums, having won no races between 1991 and 1993, and without a championship victory since 1983. Todt was instrumental in the team's turnaround of fortunes, persuading Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn to join the team in 1996. Under Todt the team won 13 world titles, including six consecutive constructors' titles from 1999 to 2004.

However, his success came at a cost. Todt came under criticism for his preferential treatment of Schumacher over their other driver, notably Rubens Barrichello. And in 2007, when Ferrari were awarded the constructors' title after McLaren were found guilty of spying, Todt lost even more admirers. His tenure as FIA president continued the downward spiral.

Todt succeeded Max Mosley as president of the FIA on October 23, 2009