I went up to Ron Dennis in Indy at a restaurant (St. Elmo's) and said loudly, "In 10 years I'll be driving for you!" He was not amused.
McLaren F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh says there is no question that Ron Dennis has the full support of all his company's shareholders, and has rubbished suggestions there is pressure on Dennis to stand down. There has been rife speculation this week that Dennis could be forced to relinquish his role as team principal in the wake of last year's spy scandal and the impact it had on the Woking-based outfit. Those rumours intensified in the wake of the visit by Italian investigators to the homes of leading McLaren executives, including Dennis, on Wednesday. But Whitmarsh has made it clear that Dennis maintains the full support of the team and their partners. He says that any talk Dennis could be forced to move aside is wide of the mark, and any decision to change roles in the future will be Dennis's entirely. "The rumours are unfounded - for a number of reasons," Whitmarsh told autosport.com. "First, the visits were merely part of ongoing enquiries by the Italian authorities, who used the Surrey Police as intermediaries. As such, they weren't really very surprising, or therefore very stressful. "Second, and most important, people who suggest that Ron may be forced to step down don't understand the corporate structure of the McLaren Group. "Ron is fully supported by all our shareholders, all our management, and all who work for our team and our company. He currently has three roles: Chairman, McLaren Group; Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Group; Team Principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. "It therefore follows that it is for Ron to decide when and if he should step down, step away, step back, or whatever." When asked if Dennis would attend the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Whitmarsh replied: "Yes." Whitmarsh also emphasised that McLaren were happy to co-operate with the Italian investigators, who were accompanied by members of the Surrey Police. "The visits were part of ongoing enquiries by the Italian authorities, who used the Surrey Police as intermediaries," he explained. "The policemen involved were efficient and courteous, and went about their business with minimal fuss. "We welcomed and co-operated fully with their enquiries, and the police professed themselves entirely happy with the co-operation they received from us."
Now you are using statistics? I don't agree with you at all. Irrespective of his statistics, which required driver support to achieve, his departure will have no effect on the sport. None, zero, nada. That applies to Jean Todt, or any other successful team principle. F1 is way too big of a business to allow one person to have any effect upon their departure. F1 kept going and gave us one hell of a season in 2007 without Michael Schumacher, and I put MS's contribution to F1 way beyond Ron Dennis. Read my post again, I said when he leaves the sport will not suffer, nor will he missed. F1 will go on, and on , and on. No one denies his positive achievements, but that was not the point nor did I dispute that point, so please do not change the intent. ;} Not even Bernie's or Max's departure will cause more than a ripple to F1. Both will be replaced with someone capable, like Jean Todt. It's a big business. When GM changes Chairmen, it means nothing initially except the stock goes up for a short period. They keep selling cars, they have designs in place 3-5 year out. It keeps going. So will F1. As does the NFL, or NBA, etc, when they change commissioners. Once again, the ONLY entity that would have a major effect on F1 if they left is Scuderia Ferrari. That is half the fan base.
I was not denying that the sport would go on, I was disagreeing with your contention that history would treat Ron Dennis as an asterisk based on the Stepney affair. Dennis' achievements as a Team Principal as unparalled in the sport, that is what he will be remembered for. So I guess Schumacher's statistics don't mean anything since he required team support to achieve them?!? It is a team sport, is it not? McLaren did win 7 WCCs under Ron Dennis, did they not? Those WDCs at McLaren didn't just materialize out of thin air nor did the McLaren race car spontaneously construct itself out of spare parts out back. If Ron Dennis is responsible for McLaren's foibles then surely he must also share some responsibility for it success, no?
You are grossly underestimating the profound impact both men had/have on the sport. Whatever F1 is today (for better or worse), it is the direct result of their decisions. Yes, they both can and will be replaced, but whoever takes over will most likely steer the sport into a distinctively different direction. If the new Bernie isn't as greedy, we might see less Asian GPs and a return to more traditional venues in Europe. At the same token the new Mosley might do away with standardization and open a few rules. Or go into a different direction altogether. Team principals and drivers come and go. They play (more or less) within the rules handed to them by the two "Gods" who define the playing field.
Andreas, the point is the sport will go on. Just as any new chariman, president, czar, whatever will have an effect, their venues will continue. Changes are inevitable. Of course there will be some change in F1 over the long run, but then in most cases, there are long term contracts with the more profitable ventures. So other than the chances are very likely that someone even one inch taller will replace Bernie (even Todt is a hair taller), changes will be over a period that will make them almost disappear (the changes) into the sunset. No one will rock the financial boat that exists today, and you better believe that even if Bernie retires, as long as he is alive he will have something to say about the operation of F1.
Unless they recruit at the local day care center, they are unlikely to find anyone smaller than Ecclestone...
Bernie's greed isn't behind the current night and Asian GPs its staggering interest on massive loans used to buy F1 from Bernie and others. The profit for F1 last year, despite the closest finish in a decade, was very small. Without these high paying venues F1 will go into the red. And when that happens, and I think it will, you'll see changes that no one will like. Bernie is pushing for emerging market countries to pony up cash for the F1 GPs that is nothing more than financial musical chairs. Some places, like the U.S. and England, have said "No, sorry it's not worth that much, I can't make a profit." Soon the new suckers will discover the same and then where will F1 go?
But, wait - I don't quite get it...wasn't Bernie the one to sell out for cash or bond and did not want to hold the paper himself? So, in fact you can make a link to Bernie's greed after all...
Damn you are a master at taking things out of context. And trying to put words in my mouth. Are you related to my first wife? Or are you really a woman pretending to be a man? I know I am writing in English, yet you miss my point. Oh I get it, you are PMSing? ;} Ron Dennis will be remembered for the cheating scandal, not for his achievements. No, I do not think that is good or correct, just a commentary on what is important to our society. That's why The Enquirerer sells. He is absolutely is responsible, as CEO, for both McLaren's achievements and its mistakes. You know the old Harry Truman "the buck stops here" adage. Without his team's support, Michael Schumacher would never have achieved his success. That is an easy equation. But that is why Michael became more involved in his team than any other driver I can think of except for the likes of Bruce McLaren et al. He wanted to assure his success. The point I have been trying to make repeatedly is that Ron Dennis' departure from F1 will have no negative effect on F1. NONE!!!!!!! That's all, so Teddy why do you continue to twist my words around?? No derrogatory comment on his achievements. Just as Schumacher's departure had no negative effect on F1, and since the paying public goes to see drivers and cars and not team principles, Michael Schumacher will have a greater presence in F1 history than will prick head Ron Dennis. The ONLY, the one and only, entity that would leave F1 and and F1 would have an immediate and long term negative effect is Scuderia Ferrari. That's like the NBA losing the Lakers, The Cavaliers, The Suns, The Trailblazers, and the Heat all at once. OK, maybe not the Heat. In Ron Dennis' case, there are many more standing in line that would like to see him go than anyone else I can remember in this sport. He is disliked on many fronts, not for his UNQUESTIONABLE achievements, but because he is an arrogant clod that has stepped on a few people in it lane. I hope that clarifies my point: Simply, Ron Dennis' departure from F1 will have no negative effect on F1. That's it.
...So what you're saying is... Ron Dennis' eventual departure will have a huge negative effect on F1? I put on my secret decoder glasses to get the message
Yes and no. He certainly didn't force CVC to buy F1 at $1.7bn (total debt of financing the buy comes to $2.3bn)* they made that decision on their own. We'll see if the U.S. financial slowdown has any world wide repercussions on some of these emerging markets. If it does it'll certainly have repercussions on F1 and its financial prospects. *http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=33935
Sounds like the best deal since Ford snapped up Jaguar a few years back...I guess nobody forced them either. My point was that bernie was standing at the door with his parachute on and did not want to help fly the plane.
Uh, yea that's it. Damn I thought I used my secret message scrambler so no one would get the gist of my words. I will be returning it to Nabisco tomorrow. And I thought that I could trust the makers of Oreos. Or did I get this scrambler from a Wheaties box? Ted, was it those fudge cookies you sent me? They did kind of make me see colors I never saw before.
You read my post yesterday ??? We said the same thing when Balestre retired. TifosiRon ??? He's had the same Chauffeur for years, he doesn't need another one... Only in the USA, at most other events it is gov't funded... it's going nowhere as long as they can keep Ferrari.
Yes why not want them to win? Or how about williams i would love to see them win, but im sure that is few and far between. See, unlike half of the rest of this board, i am not butt hurt about stepneygate. In fact i never was. I want to see a golden age of racing come back and i want to see 5 different teams challenging for the championship. Don't you? Oh wait, i forgot, you are still worried about what Mclaren stole from ferrari almost a year ago.
I think he read and understood your post perfectly well. He took nothing out of context, he didn't miss your point, he didn't twist your words and he didn't disgree with your contention that Dennis's departure would have no negative effect on F1. If you believe he did any of those things you didn't read his post properly. He did disagree with you about what RD would be remembered for and I believe he is probably correct. I think the 'spy scandal' will largely be forgotten in a year or two, a footnote in the records, but McLaren's and RD's success over the years will long be remembered.
I don't disagree with you on that and have not right from the start of the discussion. The point I disagree with you on is this one: I was going to ask you the same question
As reports emerged on Wednesday speculating about Ron Dennis' position at McLaren, Bernie Ecclestone has admitted that the espionage affair 'damaged' the veteran team boss. "He got all the stick, didn't he," F1's Chief Executive told the Mirror. "That's how it is." Ecclestone thinks Dennis could have limited his personal damage by apologising earlier. "If he didn't know what was going on, perhaps he should have known. And he should have apologised immediately. If he did know what was going on, he should have apologised immediately, too." The 77 year old also echoes the growing view that McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton's honeymoon is now over. "Last year, he could afford to be a little more relaxed. Now he's got a lot of pressure to win. He's the number one in the team for sure and people expect him to win." "Having the world champion there last year took some of the heat off him. He must have learned from him as well," the Briton added.
Blick's Roger Benoit is also speculating/hinting at an early departure by RD. He doesn't say that RD has been fired, but thinks that is merely a matter of time.
I'd have thought that if he was going to be fired it would probably have been done before now and certainly before the season starts. If he's fired it will certainly be disruptive for the team and it would be more damaging if it's done during the season rather than before it. Even if he resigns I imagine he'd not want to do it mid-season for much the same reason.
I would agree with that, but consider that Mercedes Benz is a big and slow corporation that needs some time to get things straightened out. Also there is the obvious issue with the ownership percentages. Mercedes has tried in the past to get the majority and failed. Until they get that or can convince RD to leave, not much will happen. As for being disruptive to the team: Just look at what happened last year after the verdict came down: Ron's brain went into reverse mode doing everything he possibly could to stop his driver from winning the title. I'm pretty sure without Ron and his henchmen at the top, Lewis would have baged the title last year: He and his race engineers would have come in early enough to get the tires changed in China and they would have used a two stop strategy in Brazil like everybody else. Either one of those decisions would have given him enough points. Both were "sabotaged" by an obviously confused RD. PS: Some people would argue, that RD knew EXACTLY what he was doing in those two races and that's why he did it. Having seen such a brilliant genius (and I really don't like the guy) make such blatant mistakes, I honestly don't know what to believe anymore.
That has crossed my mind many, many times. What happened in the last two races seems so unlikely that you have to wonder if there were actually no 'mistakes' and it was done deliberately by the team. If it was deliberate there are lots of possible explanations and we might never know the truth.
