Among the various honours, a model of the Ferrari 250 GT Lusso - the car with which he won the Rallye Jeanne d’Arc in 1996 as a co-driver of Denis Gillet - a and a commemorative plaque featuring silhouettes of the most significant race cars that have played a part in Todt’s five decades in the sport. Inevitably, there had to be a cake and it boasted one of the key components of any car – a steering wheel – a fitting tribute for the man who currently steers the Automobile Federation.