The Todt-Schumacher partnership resulted in an unprecedented period of dominance for Ferrari as they reigned supreme in F1 between 2000 and 2004.

But it wasn’t always plain-sailing…

After two world championship triumphs at Benetton, Schumacher maꦚde the move to Fer🅰rari for 1996.

At this point, Ferrari hadn’t won the constructors’ title since 1983 having been b🍬eaten by Mc🦄Laren and Williams during the subsequent years.

Todt had been at the team siಌnce 1993 - and the pressure was startin𓆉g to build.

Again in 1996, Williams were the team to beat as Damon Hill went🤪 head-to-head with rookie teammate Jacques Villenueve for the title.

Ferrari - similar to Red Bull in Mercedes’ dominant years⛄ in the hyb⛎rid era - could only settle for podiums, relying on the brilliance of Schumacher.

Schumacher showꦺed why he was the cl▨ass of the field with his iconic, wet weather victory at the 1996 Spanish Grand Prix - but they were no closer to challenging Williams on raw pace.

As seen over the years, the top job at Ferrari is probably the toughest in F1, with T⛦odt’s leadership coming into question.

In a recent interview with , Todt revealed that Schumacher’s loyalty was the reason he r𝔍em💖ained in charge despite the team not challenging for world championships.

“The situation was disastrous at the 🅷beginning,” he 🧸said. “In '96 there was a lot of talk about my dismissal. Michael had just arrived and saw that my plan was right, the people who were about to arrive and with whom I was dealing in secret corresponded to our plan. This is why he intervened and said: “If Todt leaves, I'll leave too”.”

Schumacher’s loyalty in Todt paid off as alongside ꩲRoss Brawn and Rory Byrne, Ferrari’s success soon followed.

Schumacher missed 🌳out on the 1997 title to Villenueve after a controversial finale, while McLaren and Mika Hakkinen came out on top in the subsequent years.

“The first one in 1997 was Michael's bullshit,” Todt added. “On♔ that occasion we protected him a lot. In '98 there was the scandalous behaviour of Coulthard, who at Spa in the rain braked in front of him to get rear-ended and stop him.

“In '99 Michael broke♊ his leg i🎃n an accident. When he returned, he helped Irvine.

“Even if he had gi𝄹ven up the position in t꧂he last race, the title would still have gone to Hakkinen. But first place among the constructors came."

The drought for Ferrari finally ended in 2000 as Schumacher secured his thir𓆉d world title.

Todt desc🦂ribไed it as his “happiest sporting moment”.

“In 2000 we win,” he concluded. “The hug with Michael on the podium ꧙is the happiest sporting moment of my life. We have finally achieved the goal we set ourselves in 1993.”

The success didn’t stop there as Schumacher added fꦕour more titles to his CV, becoming F1’s first-ever seven-time ✅world champion.

The great German went close again in 2006 beforღe bowing out of Ferrari at the end of the year.

At🌄 the end of 2007, Todt did the sam🗹e, bringing an end to the legendary Ferrari superteam.

Even𒅌 to this day, the Scuderia haven’tജ quite recovered.