Ron Dennis
c/o James Moy Photography
There are few people I have encountered whom I could adequately compare with Ron Dennis. A pioneer, perfectionist, peerless visionary and a man whose influence on both motor racing and the automobile itself has been felt for decades and will resonate for many to come. His work, and his racing team, have redefined the very concept of what we understand Formula 1 to be. If Bernie Ecclestone is responsible for creating the commercial behemoth that is the Formula 1 World Championship, then Ron Dennis and his McLaren team are, by extension and in my opinion, responsible for launching the sport on a path to the engineering excellence which has become its global hallmark.
His commitment and loyalty to his sport but most of all to his team and his staff has been steadfast. For 2007 alone, I will forever be in awe of Ron. Had the Spygate scandal gone in front of any sensible Court of Law, it is fair to assume that the case would have been thrown out for a lack of any genuine substantive evidence. Which made the punishment all the more incredible. And created a feeling all the more incredulous. Going into the scandal, the largest fine ever handed down by the FIA was $5 million. McLaren’s penance was 20 times that figure.
Very few people know every detail of that season and the complex political machinations which unfolded. From the shards it is possible to piece together from the outside, however, a wholly unsavoury story emerges which would be fit for a Hollywood blockbuster, were the facts not so seemingly fanciful. One day the full story will emerge, and Ron’s falling on his sword will be seen in the true light it deserves.
I have the greatest of respect for Ron, for all he has achieved, all he has created, and all that he is.
But has the time come for him to stand aside?
Ron Dennis
c/o James Moy Photography
His presence at the helm and as Captain of a sinking ship, with him seemingly oblivious to the fact that the hull has been breached and is taking on water, is painful to watch. He stands ignorant to the fact that his is the burden and his the responsibility for the crippling damage besetting his team, and that it has the potential to destroy all he has created.
Over the past 12 months Ron Dennis has gone from being a figure of authority and respect, to one openly mocked. “Oh God, what’s he said / done now?” has become the accepted response when one brings up his name.
There was the interview with Danish television that he asked to start again after forgetting the name of the team’s young GP2 stand out Stoffel Vandoorne. They couldn’t of course. They were live. And so Ron compounded his error by talking up their other young prospect, Nick. Nick Heidfeld.
It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad.
Even fun, though, seemingly has little place at Woking these days. When Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button dared to jump onto the podium in Brazil after their early qualifying exit, providing some much needed comic relief at the end of an arduous season, both were reportedly reprimanded by McLaren’s CEO. (* See Postscript)
Nearly two years into Ron’s return to the helm of the team, in a Night of the Long Knives which saw his able, loyal and long-term deputy Martin Whitmarsh farmed out on an incredibly expensive spell of gardening leave, McLaren is in the worst sporting health of its existence having endured its poorest Formula 1 season in three decades.
And yet still, Ron seems blind to the reality of his situation. As Lewis Hamilton wrapped up a third world championship in a season where he seemed to enjoy himself as much away from the track as he did on it, Ron couldn’t help but have his say, stating that “if he was at McLaren he wouldn’t be behaving the way he is because he wouldn’t be allowed to … He’s shaking off some chains he didn’t want to have.”
I’m sure Hamilton is losing little sleep over his former boss and financier’s words. After all, had he stayed at McLaren, bound by the very chains Ron mentions, there seems little hope, on current evidence, that Lewis Hamilton would be a three-time world champion.
Kevin Magnussen
c/o James Moy Photography
His comments on Hamilton were compounded by statements that he believed his star driver Fernando Alonso was on the verge of taking a sabbatical, something Alonso strenuously denied. At the same time, he claimed that Kevin Magnussen had been let go by McLaren for failing to achieve goals set out for him at the team. “He knows himself and, no question, he knew that he didn’t perform as he should have done this season,” Dennis stated at the final race of 2015.
Lest we forget, Magnussen scored a podium on his F1 debut in 2014 before being dropped for the 2015 season. He deputised for Fernando Alonso at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after the Spaniard’s still mystifying testing crash (more on that later,) only for the car, or rather the Honda engine, to fail on the way to the grid. Thereafter he was left on the sidelines for the year. When asked what goals Magnussen had failed to achieve in 2015, Dennis would not be drawn. Presumably because Kevin Magnussen was tasked with just two things in 2015: 1.) Giving up an Indycar race seat with Andretti Autosport, and 2.) Sitting on his backside. Both of which he performed admirably and without complaint.
Ron Dennis today cuts an outdated and out of touch figure. Again, in Abu Dhabi, he said that he hated “tweeting and all the other social media. I think it’s not the way for the future.” As a wise Paddock sage noted, these words on the future seemed to have come from a man living in the past. One who, until very recently, did not really understand what an email was and told people he needed to contact that he would do so by sending them “an internet.”
And all this, just weeks before McLaren hosted a “Think Digital” summit of “digital and social media thought leadership” at the new McLaren Thought Leadership Centre.
Alonso and Dennis’ relationship seems an uneasy one
c/o James Moy Photography
One noted media colleague relayed after the interview from which all of those quotes emanated, that he’d never known a team boss implode so devastatingly in the space of an hour. McLaren’s media office was tasked, once again, with putting out fires started for seemingly no reason and with no foundation by the man at the top of the food chain. Just as they had been in Barcelona after Fernando Alonso’s mysterious crash.
The comments made by Dennis pre-season were completely contradictory to the medical reports coming from the hospital and ultimately from Alonso himself. “He was unconscious for a relatively short period of time,” Dennis told reporters at the time. “We could hear him breathing but no other sounds.” He went on to say Alonso had suffered “some loss of memory” and an “inability to recall.” In spite of this and the team having already stated Alonso had suffered concussion, Dennis continued that “the CTU and MRI scans were completely clear, no indication of any damage. There was no concussion detected in the scan and physically he is perfect.”
The job for the media department was thus complicated by contradictory comments which were not at all helpful at a time when the message should have been minimal, clear and concise.
Ron will be Ron.
But how much is Ron being Ron hurting the team in real terms?
Cara Delevingne joined the team as a TAG Heuer Ambassador in Monaco
c/o James Moy Photography
There has been an exodus of sponsors at McLaren. This season was embarrassing enough, with a car and overalls so devoid of sponsorship that even Manor looked flush in comparison. Long term clothing partner Hugo Boss has jumped ship to Mercedes. Santander have renewed but downsized their sponsorship of the team, continuing mainly due to the advertising opportunities surrounding Button and Alonso who are such huge stars in two of the bank’s key markets. The team has lost long-term partner Diageo and their Johnny Walker brand after a 10 year relationship. Ended, too, that seemingly most symbiotic of relationships with TAG Heuer. The watch brand and McLaren have had a 30 year history, but all of that is now in the past. Dennis himself seems unperturbed about the loss, stating that the departure of TAG Heuer comes just as the team has lined up a deal with the watch maker’s sister arm at Hennessy Chandon, and indeed Ron was happy to see the brand depart after its Monaco Grand Prix marketing exploits.
Monaco, allegedly, was the tipping point for Ron. So what did TAG Heuer do that left Dennis so aghast? It turned up with Cara Delevingne and put her in one of his cars. Yes they put her in a hideous outfit, but this is Cara Delevingne. Now I’m with Ron in that I genuinely don’t have a clue what she is famous for, but I do recognise that she is one of the biggest stars in the world at the moment. Four million twitter followers. Just shy of Twenty Four million (I’m going to write that out… 24,000,000) followers on Instagram. And having her sit in a McLaren was a bad thing?
Ron believes that social media isn’t the way of the future. Perhaps not. Who knows? But it’s the way of today. And in Monaco, that one person alone had a reach of almost 30 million sets of eyes. If that’s not considered good for business, it stands to reason that the person who holds that belief may, themselves, be bad for business.
And so the search continues for sponsorship with comments out of Dennis in the past few days, once again, that he will not drop the team’s rate card for title sponsorship. This, in the face of partners jumping ship either due to personal disagreements with Dennis himself, or simply not wishing to be associated with a team in the non-competitive state in which McLaren finds itself.
Another year without a title sponsor for McLaren in 2015
c/o James Moy Photography
“When you start to wrestle with competitiveness,” Dennis said this week, “people inevitably try to use that to optimise their commercial relationship with the team. I’m very robust on rate card so I have the overview as chief executive of the group where the revenue streams are, and it’s my job to predict where we’re going to go.
“You don’t need to be an Einstein to know that the climate for F1 and sports sponsorship overall is challenging – I don’t think you’ve seen a new sponsor at Ferrari in the last two years for example – and the worst thing you can do is get into a situation where you drop your rate card and everything spins out of control.”
So Dennis can see the challenge and yet is unwilling to react to it. Commercially, and competitively, his team IS spinning out of control. With him at the helm, the buck ultimately stops with him.
Of course, the great irony is that while McLaren struggles on track, its road car department is excelling. I had the pleasure myself of test driving the fabulous 650S earlier this year, and can say with all honesty I have never driven such a piece of automotive perfection. It has, for me, ruined driving forever because I now know what flawlessness feels like, and I will have to spend the rest of my life knowing that, unless I win the lottery and can afford one of my own, nothing I drive will feel so good.
McLaren 650S
c/o McLaren Automotive
McLaren only started making cars again four years ago, and in that time has firmly established itself on the international scene, and filled a genuine niche in the marketplace. This was Ron’s baby. It is entirely independent of the Formula 1 team and, perhaps, should become Ron’s focus once more.
The fear that many will have, is that as Ron’s focus is drawn ever more towards the Formula 1 project, and should that project continue to fail, the falling reputation of the team on track could negatively impact sales of McLaren cars. You see, the whole McLaren concept is predicated on perfection and excellence.
The McLaren F1 team of 2015 does not reflect these ideals. And with Ron Dennis at its helm, there is a feeling that it may take longer than absolutely necessary to get back to the position it once held as the flag bearer for engineering and technical prowess in Formula 1. It is no longer the 1980s. Formula 1 has changed. The world has changed. Ron, seemingly, has not.
His team, to whom he has stayed loyal, for whom he has sacrificed so much, is beginning to lose faith. Its not just the big name departures we should note, of sponsors and staff, but those we don’t hear about. It’s the hidden genius that is plucked from a junior office that should have McLaren worried. Because the future needs to be built today. And there is a fear that for as long as Ron continues to plough forwards with his blinkers set firmly in place, the team will not lift itself from the doldrums in which it finds itself.
I read many years ago that one of Ron Dennis’ mottos is that “neither success nor failure is ever final.”
I’ve always liked that motto. I’ve always believed in it. I’ve always believed in Ron. But sometimes, we have to acknowledge when we do more harm than good.
And that sometimes to allow success to flourish, we must admit our own defeat.
Ron Dennis
c/o James Moy Photography
Postscript: This article makes reference to a report (originally in Marca) which stated that Ron Dennis had reprimanded his drivers following their antics at the Brazilian Grand Prix, however at the time of writing I was unaware that this story had in fact been refuted and clarified here. I’d like to thank the McLaren Spokesman who pointed me towards this article, and notified me of my oversight. The reason the paragraph in question remains as it did when published is that I have always believed the internet to be written in ink rather than pencil, and that any inaccuracies be dealt with individually and in this manner, rather than editing them out and pretending they never happened.
The Buxton Blog 
Superb article! And great to see a journalist offer a real opinion without being afraid of upsetting those in the paddock. Apart from the dodgy waistcoat you’re always entertaining on Sky F1. Would be great if you were part of the SSF1 team.
You can’t have him! – America
Spot on…….sadly.
Very well written, sad to see such a great fall from grace.
Hmmm… Well written as always, Will Buxton. Sad but true, we all are destined to the place Ron Dennis is at or soon to be. It is up to each of us to arrive as graciously as possible and not at the expense of others who made our successful positions in life possible. Its a hard task for any man who has accomplished as much as Ron Dennis.
As a McLaren fan, it’s hard to witness what’s recently transpired. I too feel that it’s time for Ron to step aside again and focus on the road car division.
I don’t think you’re wrong when it comes to Ron, Will, but I think the situation at McLaren is being blown a little out of proportion by the media.
F1 is in an age where building your own power unit is highly advantageous and Ferrari and Mercedes are where they want to be and will do everything not to relinquish their position at the front of the grid.
McLaren at least have the opportunity to work exclusively with Honda and have two drivers that can deliver championships when the car is eventually capable. I’d back them to win a championship before I’d put my money on Red Bull or Williams, for what it’s worth.
I think Ron has shown his leadership in making these difficult but correct calls – it’s communicating these decisions that has been the problem.
McLaren were never going to be competitive this season – it was always going to take at least a year – and if they are struggling to bring in sponsors with Alonso and Button in the cars, I don’t see why they didn’t play down expectations from the outset.
I don’t think Ron needs to leave F1 per se; I think he just doesn’t need to be seen in F1. Ron can continue making calls behind the scenes while Eric Boullier does the talking, because as you’ve explained in great detail, it seems to be Ron who can’t get his story straight.
I guess for that to happen, Ron does have to take a backseat somewhere. I do, however, believe McLaren need Ron in some capacity, because as much as he may seem out of touch in front of a TV crew, I think he can still be trusted with the big decisions.
What utter tosh.
If the 2015 Honda engine was a match for the Mercedes, or even the Ferrari, everyone would be hailing Ron as visionary and a genius.
All that needs to happen now is for Honda to produce that engine.
I also want to make this point.
Ron Dennis was patient almost to a fault with Mika Hakkinen, who endured several “transitional years” at McLaren. Nearly died in McLaren white and scarlet. As recently as mid-1997 they could have easily justified letting Hakkinen go. Dennis didn’t. Then Hakkinen went on to win two championships and became the strongest rival Michael Schumacher ever had.
He was patient almost to a fault with David Coulthard, who McLaren could have easily justified kicking to the curb in 2000 for the aforementioned Schumacher, or for Damon Hill in ’97 or ’98. He didn’t, and although Coulthard ultimately DID run a year too long at McLaren, he was still one of the best drivers who never hoisted a WDC, up there with Moss, GV, Peterson.
He could have easily booted Kimi Raikkonen after a dismal 2002 season, points-wise, where Raikkonen was outscored 24-41 and many felt that Heidfeld, who outscored Raikkonen in 2001, still should have had the McLaren drive. He decided to keep him on board for 2003, where he took Schumacher to a seventeenth round in Suzuka, then two years later took Alonso to the limit in the championship for McLaren.
Now Dennis, or McLaren as a whole, however you want to view it – have hot-shot through two drivers under the age of 25, Sergio Perez, and Kevin Magnussen, for underperforming in the same manner that Hakkinen, DC, and Kimi had at some points, but without either one of them getting a second chance to prove their worth. And honestly, if the same thing happens to Vandoorne, whenever he actually reaches F1 for McLaren I can’t see any way he wouldn’t be demoted or fired after just one season of setbacks like Perez and K-Mag. He would have to outperform his teammate immediately to not be at risk of being burned up.
Great analysis, amazing piece of writing.
Fantastic, fantastic article!, as always. But I can’t help wondering what it is that McLaren needs do, or is doing about the real issue i.e. the car and its lack of speed. Unfortunately, as a fan and non-engineer, all I can do is watch in sad bewilderment (esp. on behalf of Alonso). If I ever could, I would talk to Button. Just my personal opinion, but I think he’d be the one with a real balanced take on the future. One does dare to hope.
That’s a great read, Will. I’ve been following Formula 1 for thirty of my thirty five years on this planet. I hold on to Ron for nostalgia’s sake and I think so many of us do. We see old videos of McLaren winning championships, and Ron is there. We’ve got pictures of him smiling and hugging Senna, Prost, Mika, Lewis and the like. As much as Formula 1 has evolved and changed over the years, we have to give Ron credit for pioneering much of that change. The problem, at least the way I see it, is that Ron has stopped changing. The team has suffered too much loss. Fan or not, all of us want to see that team running wheel to wheel n the front row.
Fantastic insight once again. Thanks for writing.
Ferrari has in the last two seasons lost one sponsor, gained two, and swapped one (Fiat for Alfa Romeo). Maybe it hasn’t attracted a title sponsor, but Ferrari has never had one and with it’s present deals with F1 and under-the-table Marlboro money it’s not hurting.
It’s the success of the road car program and other projects that are keeping the F1 team afloat. Even with Honda’s money, there’s never enough. And you have to wonder when McLaren’s other investors will start looking at the drain and ask, why?
Great reporting. I’ve wondered if the constant redeveloping of their road car has interfered with their race program. The stuff with Alonso is just off-the-hook crazy, and you have to wonder what is going on in the head of Ron Dennis.
Once again Will, an excellent piece. I do believe it’s time for Ron to step aside from the F1 team.
As usual I have one criticism. You imply that Ron was not responsible for Spygate with the words “Ron’s falling on his sword will be seen in the true light it deserves”.
Granted, I am by no means the insider that you are, but I just don’t buy it. To imply that he didn’t know what was going on, and yet took responsibility in some knightly fashion for someone else’s mistake is not digestible. Ron appointed himself dictator of that team long ago. When you are dictator, you are responsible for everything, the good, the bad, and even that which you cannot control.
it’s like Chris Christie saying he didn’t know that his people had shut down the busiest bridge in the country for 3 days. I call BS. Micro managers know everything thats going on, and more importantly, the people that work underneath them know not to keep secrets from the boss.
Ron may be a genius, building one of the premier road car divisions of the world in a scant 4-5 years, but he also no saint, and at some point should step aside and let the people he has hired do their jobs. Poor Whitmarsh, does anyone know if he is actually still alive, or has he been permanently banished to the fire swamp?
You know the famous racing adage: “When in doubt, go flat out…broke”
F1 needs to clean house.
Bernie, Ron, Jean… give them the old heave-ho!
Ferrari did it and look how they turned around this season.
That is all I’m saying.
I like seeing a man that connects the best of F1 past with today and still is vital and driven. Ron Dennis runs a team which is at the forefront of bleeding edge technology, he encouraged this and paid for it. Those things that give a team performance benefits Dennis wants, he does not seem to fear or question them. This considered post finally lacks what all the other Ron is over posts lack, detailed examples of where he made mistakes that lead to where the team is now. Dennis was missing from McLaren for several years before 2014, in two years he is so over? Sponsorship comes and goes, when McLaren gain points they will gain sponsors. If I were a sponsor of any team that charged me top dollar and that team no longer was at the front of the grid, I’d walk away too.
I think its a somewhat inadequate comparison, social media knowledge to running an F1 team. I get the symbolism but I don’t agree, I believe running an F1 team is an excruciatingly complex process that is ever changing, integrating new ideas in both technology and people skills with the constant measure of a race result. At this point it seems all writers should offer at least a small warning before extrapolating anything from social media to something else, marketing vs running a team, I don’t see it.
In years past it was Williams that fell on their face turning away from the latest technologies and people practices that made an F1 teams win, not Ron Dennis, he was there and encouraged pushing the technology further forward. In the recent past there were no Frank is so over stories, and look at Williams now, back at the front. Could F1 team performance run in cycles? Is Ron Dennis responsible for this down cycle after being away for years? Dennis is rich and nothing we type will change his world for good or bad, but I do feel we can still learn from the Dennis example, this latest leg in his career might just be where we can learn the most, why turn away from this. I look forward to a resurgent McLaren and the example of Ron Dennis as an inspiration.
Good article. I’m first and foremost a Williams fan and I’ve witnessed them come back from embarrassing performances in recent seasons to being genuine front(ish) runners in 2014 and 2015, and I’m hoping the same can happen at McLaren.
I’m a huge admirer of Jenson Button and it pains me to see him crippled by such a poor car. And while I’m no fan of Fernando Alonso I recognise of course that the man is a phenomenal talent, doomed to faffing around at the back and serving unbelievably stupid grid penalties. Both men deserve better, and it’s to their credit that they’ve (by and large) played the PR game well this year when they could be forgiven for storming off in a huff.
Ron, like Sir Frank, is one of the great figures in British motorsport, and I really hope he can steer McLaren back to respectability. Nobody “deserves” success, your past performance is just that, but McLaren are too great a team to be performing at their current level for any longer.
Merry Christmas, by the way, Will, and thanks for all the entertaining posts over the year. I haven’t agreed with them all but you always argue your case eloquently, and frequently take the time to politely engage with commenters who may not share your views. Have a nice break!
Another well written blog Will and already see many of your followers agree. Regardless of the position or sport, to many figures try to extend a career well past the point of being productive or value to their employer. They distract more than bring positive attention as well. Mr. Dennis, while had his share of success, is no longer associated with winning, but better know now for meaningless or inaccurate comments and a apparently not able to appease his sponsors. Yes, time seems to have come to relinquish his role in McLaren F1.
If the Honda power plant would have been competitive in 2015, as in just behind Ferrari, then much of this would not have been an issue. But since Honda was so dismal and lacking in their technological achievements, it only spotlighted Ron Dennis’ shortcomings of dealing with 21st Century communications and the state of the McLaren F1 team.
Merry Christmas, Will. Looking forward to 2016, especially Haas F1. Good stuff…Cheers!
Couldn’t agree more! During the latter half of the season I began thinking the same thing. His comments about Lewis’ personal life are what stood out to me the most. Combine that with the fact that he reprimanded Jenson and Fernando for trying to lift team morale and it shows that Dennis is a bit out of touch with the current state of both Formula One and McLaren. I think you bring up a good point by saying it may be in McLaren’s best interest if he switches focus back to the road car project that has grown so much because of his efforts.
What a piece. One of the best F1 related articles I have read this year
You clearly aren’t in business yourself. Ron is, and he knows what he’s doing. Bitching over and over about how he doesn’t wish to engage in social media doesn’t make him a bad team boss, or a bad businessman. Do you think that McLaren’s customer base use social media? I can almost guarantee they do not. Appealing to a bunch of 14 year old girls is not Ron Dennis’ target. It’s different at Ferrari as merchandising is lucrative for them. Also, he was quite right not to lower his sponsorship price. And why? Because if he did that, then his existing sponsors would renege on their existing deals. And McLaren would suffer a net loss of income. McLaren are not in an ideal scenario, but you never show weakness, and that’s why he’s putting on the front. Go back to 1995. Now go to 1998. Ron has a track record. What do you have? Bitterness I suspect.
Mr. Mallory seems quite impressed with himself and has made a distinct effort to inform others that he missed the whole point of the W Buxton editorial- Ron Direction. The best of the Holiday season to you, Mr Mallory.
So much respect for Will Buxton. Telling it like he see’s it. no punches pulled. Great article. And, from my home town.
You’ve stuck the knife in, now twist it !. I’m sure you’re terribly famous just I’ve barely heard of you.
When you have a CV that compares even remotely with that of Dennis you may write in such terms. The bile you have spouted is about summed up by the self justifying and totally inadequate postscript. You cannot in one breath say the man is in the ultimate stages of dementia whilst at the same time he has just conceived the most extraordinary road car.
Ron has always, probably since before you were born, spoken gobbledegook, one of his charms, but in his case his actions speak louder than words. Unlike you he is merely bloody good, not perfect.
You should retire for the winter and wait for something worthwhile to write about. I very much hope, but have serious doubts, that you will be suitably gracious when it comes right as it surely will.
From just the words here, I have to say you Brits are remarkably articulate, even in your insults. My fellow Americans are severely lacking in wit of this sort.
Ta !
Ron has never spoken gobbledegook. Ron Speak is actually clear and eloquent. I’ve not claimed he is suffering from dementia. Nor spouted bile.
With the exception of one instance which was incorrectly reported by a Spanish newspaper and which i was unaware had been refuted at the time of writing I have stated fact. Fact backed up by Dennis’ own words. The fact a McLaren spokesman saw fit to clarify the one paragraph in question but no others should tell you that.
I have a huge amount of respect for Ron. All that he has done and all that he has created. The purpose of this piece is simply to ask the question of whether his time has come. And I’m glad to see it has ignited such a passionate defense.
Very defensive Mr Buxton. I read bile and very little respect, which you certainly should have. The man has moved mountains. The current situation will come right I have no doubt. As I said, I trust you will squirm obsequiously.
Perhaps if you spent less time trying to be so magniloquent and actually read what was written rather than what you wanted to read there’d be some room for debate.
“And in Monaco, that one person alone had a reach of almost 30 million sets of eyes.” Add to that… “Instagram’s most popular models Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne and Gigi Hadid can rake in up to $300,000 for posting just ONE snap on the app”!!!
Ok – the source of this information (DM – link below) isn’t great, but doesn’t detract from the fact McLaren got huge coverage to a wide and diverse audience around the world.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3364707/Popularity-pays-Instagram-s-popular-models-Kendall-Jenner-Cara-Delevingne-Gigi-Hadid-rake-300-000-posting-just-ONE-snap-app.html#ixzz3uf6QpWxp
Will the thing with McLaren though is I know they will have a Championship if not more by the end of the decade. Unlike a Williams who has been on a downward spiral since Renault left and a death spiral since the end of BMW’s partnership. Mclaren will have success due to the relationship with Honda.
I am certain that Ron Dennis is 90% of the reason Honda came back to the sport and are actually investing heavily. What is also good is they aren’t touching aero, because as we see in their earlier F1 and this previous years IndyCar aero kits Honda isn’t the best on that front.
On the sponsor front I don’t see why Tag left the partnership they had lasted 3 decades they could use so much out of it. The Senna commercials were perfect, and made a lasting impression as part of the market they say they want to target people in their 20s I won’t be interested in them anymore now that they are with Red Bull.
However I see no reason why Dennis couldn’t have had better relations with his sponsors, said he stick with us this season at a slightly discounted rate, but next season we’ll be back.
Mclaren is an instantly recognizable brand they will be back, however I hope sooner rather than later.
Yes maybe there is a point there. But I also believe that man that lead to achieve great things such as Ron has are so unique and unorthodox in their thinking that we might just not be able to connect the dots on what really is going on there.
On a separate note, I really feel that Eric Boullier is not a strong enough character to move mclaren forward. He is just blah… Will (or anyone familiar), I’d love to get your insight on Eric’s capacity to add to the team.
Fantastic writing as usual and I hope you are enjoying the break with your family. Rest we’ll because we need you working hard come season opener 😉
[…] There was also a great piece by NBC’s Will Buxton, noting that McLaren’s Ron Dennis inadvertently might be causing more harm than good to the team’s future progress. […]
Ron Dennis is 68 years old, he has achieved a lot but stuff can start to happen when you get older. Forgetting the names of his drivers and his procrastination are sometimes just part of that. The micro “gut” managing becomes digging his heels in.
My current boss built a successful company and is technically brilliant but has a tenuous at best understanding of modern trends. When we wheel him out for customer meetings, we limit it to “speed dating” because invariably he will say something irrelevant or make a decision off the cuff without understanding the ramifications because he can’t be bothered to read the “cliff” notes.
I am a 7 years younger than Ron, but hope I can recognize when it’s time to change my role.