Ron Dennis ready to quit Formula One Edward Gorman, Motor Racing Correspondent Ron Dennis, the chairman and driving force behind McLaren Mercedes, is expected to announce today that he is standing down from all involvement with Formula One operations as part of a deal to keep Lewis Hamilton with the team. Dennis will address a press conference at the McLaren headquarters outside Woking, Surrey, this morning, where it is thought he will say that he is to remain chairman of the McLaren Group but will busy himself with the companys road car manufacturing operations and leave Martin Whitmarsh, who replaced him as team principal last month, in total charge of Formula One activities. The decision, which would effectively mark the end of one of the greatest careers in the sport, came as the FIAs Court of Appeal threw out claims that Jenson Buttons Brawn GP car is illegal, giving the green light to Hamiltons British rival to continue his surge towards the drivers title, beginning with the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday. Denniss expected move comes in the wake of mounting speculation that he may have played a key role in the background to events at the Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix, where Hamilton and Dave Ryan, the McLaren sporting director who has since been sacked, were exposed as having tried to deceive the stewards. Related Links Ryan out as McLaren face expulsion fear Hamilton and McLaren on verge of breakdown Briatore and Dennis threaten to boycott race The key question was whether Dennis had spoken to Ryan between the two hearings, when Ryan and Hamilton lied about the circumstances in which Jarno Trulli, the Toyota driver, had passed Hamilton in Melbourne. The issue is important because Whitmarsh contended in Kuala Lumpur that neither Ryan nor Hamilton had spoken to any other team members before either hearing and that they alone were responsible for the attempted subterfuge. Denniss decision to step back is also likely to be a consequence of pressure exerted by Anthony Hamilton, the world champions father and manager, who does not get on with Dennis. He is believed to have been furious with what he saw as the team selling his sons reputation to try to gain a single championship point. Relations between the two are said to have reached a point at which Hamilton Sr, and to a lesser extent his son, did not want to continue with McLaren while Dennis was in charge. Todays expected announcement by Dennis, 61, follows a formal handover of the team principal role to Whitmarsh on March 1. However, that changing of the guard was not comprehensive, with Dennis retaining an informal presence at grand-prix weekends, something that is likely to stop altogether. Denniss decision would mark a bitter end for a man whose life has revolved around Formula One and under whose guidance, since 1982, McLaren have won numerous races and championships for legends of the sport such as Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Mika Hakkinen. His tenure also included one of the teams worst years, in 2007, when they were fined $100 million (now about £67 million) by the FIA over the so-called Spy-gate affair. The changes at the team will not go unnoticed at the FIA, which has summoned McLaren to an extraordinary meeting of its World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) in Paris on April 29 to consider the events in Australia and Malaysia, when McLaren could be suspended from either or both of the drivers and constructors championships. The world governing body believes that a culture of dishonesty has developed at McLaren, but the WMSC may view the teams prospects differently now that Whitmarsh is in sole charge. The decision to throw out protests against Buttons car came as no surprise. Along with Toyota and Williams, Brawn GP had been accused of exploiting a loophole in the new technical regulations by building a bigger diffuser at the rear of their cars than the rules allow. However, they had been passed by stewards in Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur and it always seemed likely the protests would fail.
I hope this isn't true. I wonder if Ron was really involved in the Aus GP problem or papa Hamilton is just using it as leverage to get him out.
I smell a rat! Dennis will NOT quit that team until he is six feet under. He'll probably show up in drag and pretend to be a pit babe.
I have a hard time beleiving that the Hamiltons are forcing Dennis out... Mercedes yes, Hamilton... no.
Actually I believe this is a planned move on many levels. Dennis has been on the outs with the FIA for many years and I bet his departure may have been influenced by Mercedes. They are probably tired of all the negative publicity and likely blame Dennis for many of the problems associated with the team. Furthermore McLaren is planning to roll out some new road cars so I'm sure he has his hands full with those projects. I think his departure is beneficial on many levels and I'm sure he's probably thinking "it's just as well and now's as good a time as ever!"
WOW!!! I wonder where Mercedes-Benz and Norbert Haug's, position was in this? I think they forced a change at McLaren, with Lewis Hamilton's, interests also. It would have taken Bernie, to also take a stance in this, with Max, maybe behind the lines. Incredible how McLaren, has self destructed...Maybe I should say Ron Dennis, has self-destructed... Ciao...Paolo
Wow! RD is no angel, but where would Defending WC Hamilton be without Dennis???? So much for loyalty and staying at McLaren of the rest of his career....... Let's see how LH behaves the rest of the year now that he doesn't have the best car.
I have no reason to doubt this, in the paddock, Ron Dennis, and both Hamiltons are referred to in the same vein as one's posterior. They should all move on.
It's really hard to tell. Other team principals have often acknowleged how Ron is an ethical person, and would not do things the wrong way. But i really hope they will punish Mclaren and Hamilton really hard. I just find it unfair for Hamilton to blame it entirely on his engineer just to save his @$$. That guy who was working with Mclaren for 35 years lost his job instantly.
Agreed, Hamilton should own up to his actions, to think Dave Ryan was the last link in the team to Bruce McLaren, a man who beleived in good sportsmanship.
I seem to remember that he did own up to his own actions. And maybe it was Ryan who instigated the lie to the stewards and Hamilton is not "blaming it on Ryan" he is simply telling it like it was. Should he tell another lie to cover up what really happened?
Your memory is wrong. Hamilton said that he was misled and he is not a liar. This is clearly untrue. He has not said "Sorry" or "I lied". I am a Hamilton fan and I cannot stand Ron Dennis, but I am very dissapointed that Hamilton has given his critics so much ammo. He also seems to be doing nothing to show that he is willing to take any responsibility for his actions.
It was out of LH's hands as soon as he reported back to the team, don't forget he got out of the car and said it as it was. It's remained out of his hands ever since, thats why his dad is kicking off, Mclaren Dave R or whoever thought they could be smart, and it backfired big time, they turned a mole hill into a mountain and it is there own making. LH's down fall is not defying his team, by telling the truth as it happened, and as he reported it Speed TV .? when he first got out of the car. RD was leaving anyway, IMO it is a piece meal attempt at lessing the blow Max deals to Mclaren. Plus the fact LH has made a public apology and he has been to CW to make amends
No. He has said he was 'misled', he has not admitted that he lied. He has said sorry although I am not sure what he was apologising for if he is not admitting to lying:
It's been known for a while that RD was going to step away from running the F1 side of the business. I'd assumed that he'd retire altogether, but: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74495 Nice. McLaren's two street car efforts have been astounding ones...I hope their next car is as at least as good as the previous units.
What>>. Do you really think he is trying to say he has not lied. How many more times, the problem IS he told the truth when he got out of the car and that conflicts to the version he gave to the stewards along with Dave Ryan...it's thats simple, and how can he not admit to that, plus the fact it was on the team radio, whilst under the SC, so I can only assume you think LH is just a plain idiot that doesn't know what he is saying from 1 min to next, or just a pathological liar. At the end of the day the real problem was Trulli and Lewis could not get confirmation from CW as to what the pecking order should have been under the SC. IMO this is where the focus should be. But whatever way you cut it he lied, and that is very wrong, what is debatable is that it was his intention to lie, or was he advised to, given the fact he knew what he had said earlier to the press, I'd go with the later.
I think he quit becaue him and Anthony Hamilton don't get along so well anymore, and so that if he were to leave the FIA wouldn't be so hard on Mclaren with a punishment.
Hamilton has changed his story too many times to have any credibility at this point in time. Liar is as liar does. Hamilton is a liar and a cheat. Surely not the only one at McLaren, but Hamilton is still a liar. Somehow I have a funny feeling that Anthony Hamilton, the clueless moron wannabe that he is, will manage to make much less of Lewis' career than it could be. Unless Lewis fires him in the very near future, of course. Anthony needs to go back to deliver milk or whatever he was doing before Dennis "discovered" Lewis and took him under his wing.
If more stuff keeps going on like this with Lewis and Mclaren i'd be suprised if Lewis will still be there for the start of next season. Maybe i'm sticking my head out abit but thats just what i think.
Please. RD's pending reduction in his F1 duties has been known for a few years now. RD..keep in mind that this guy built McLaren from a teepee into a world-class organization...he is one hell of a businessman and a team builder with a CV that could be the envy of most. RD may be a lot of things, but stupid and easily swayed aren't among his weaknesses. One spineless driver with a jellyfish father does not his downfall make. RD owns 15% of McLaren, so perhaps the decisions are no longer his to make. Get rid of Boss Haug, Whitmarsh and LH's dad are pretty good steps in the right direction for the RDless McLaren.
