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[darwin dali]

Ron Dennis has forcibly relinquished his role as Team Principal of McLaren, and will be replaced by Chief Operating Officer Martin Whitmarsh, a Spanish newspaper claims.

The national sports daily Marca says the decision, compelled by the British team's engine and equity partner Mercedes-Benz, will shortly be confirmed by means of a press release.

Marca said Mercedes was angered by Dennis' handling of the espionage scandal last year that cost the outfit $100m and arguably both titles.

Dennis, who has overseen McLaren's ultra-successful reign since the early 1980s, could be given a new position but will not be in a crucial decision-making role, the publication claimed.

Dennis owns 15 per cent of McLaren, with the rest of the equity divided between Mercedes, a Bahraini company, and Mansour Ojjeh.

McLaren has yet to comment on the matter.

[bud]

what do you mean theres hope?

[phren]

Doubt that Mercedes could push Uncle Ron. Ojjeh would probably bail if that happened prompting a share sale which Mercedes don't want. Anyway he's a bit of a scary guy sometimes. He will probably go this year, been moving things that way for a while but he won't be pushed.

[8-ball]

no way is he going now. 2008 is supposed to be his big comeback year. This is just rumors made up by the spanish press to discredit Mclaren

[McLaren Fan]

Ron Dennis has forcibly relinquished his role as Team Principal of McLaren, and will be replaced by Chief Operating Officer Martin Whitmarsh, a Spanish newspaper claims.

The national sports daily Marca says the decision, compelled by the British team's engine and equity partner Mercedes-Benz, will shortly be confirmed by means of a press release.

Marca said Mercedes was angered by Dennis' handling of the espionage scandal last year that cost the outfit $100m and arguably both titles.

Dennis, who has overseen McLaren's ultra-successful reign since the early 1980s, could be given a new position but will not be in a crucial decision-making role, the publication claimed.

Dennis owns 15 per cent of McLaren, with the rest of the equity divided between Mercedes, a Bahraini company, and Mansour Ojjeh.

McLaren has yet to comment on the matter.

Hmm. A Spanish newspaper...

Even if it is true, it's really quite sad you can take pleasure in the demise of one of the sport's greats and another, decent human being.

[bud]

like Bernie has said in response Dennis is a shareholder not an employee they cant fire him lol

[texasmr2]

Ron's immense enfluence will alway's be there no matter what position he hold's within the team. Ron IS McLaren as far as I'm concerned and if the rumor is true we will still see him on the pit wall.

[Jensonb]

Erm...Seems like it's far too stupid a move to be true. You can't forcibly eject the boss right before the season starts, it would be chaos. Rumours and speculation.

[McLaren Fan]

From autosport.com:

Dennis has full support, says Whitmarsh

By Jonathan Noble Thursday, February 28th 2008, 17:11 GMT

Ron Dennis and Martin WhitmarshMcLaren 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."

There you go, straight from the McLaren top brass.

[AKR]

Oh well I guess it is all blah blah rumours full of rubbish then. Either way Ron Dennis will not be making a comeback in 2008. After the scandal (A scandal the world as been lead to belive is real minus the conspiracies) no one ever makes a comeback in the first year. The FIA will simply not allow it. Same is the case for Juventus. First year back into Serie A after the Calciopoli scandal and they sit in 3rd place. 3rd place means UEFA Champions League qualification (Like in the EPL) but that is all they will achieve. The FIGC will not allow Juve to win the Scudetto in the first year back to the top flight after the scandal. I see this clear with bullpoo referreing not allowing Juve to win games it clearly could of. Even Italian Newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport published a Serie A table on how it should of been minus the Ref bullpoo and it showed Juve easily in first. So to McLaren for 2008, good luck at winning because I doubt even luck will help you win.

[texasmr2]

Seriously AKR must you bash McLaren in every post you make regardless of the thread's topic? We all find it to be VERY UNSPORTING like.

[AKR]

Seriously AKR must you bash McLaren in every post you make regardless of the thread's topic? We all find it to be VERY UNSPORTING like.

Fine I will take it back then. Pretend I never posted that, OK. No one need be offended that way. My sincere apologies to all McLaren supporters.

[texasmr2]

All of this non-F1 banter could have been leftout of your post. I know you were using it as a reference but really it was not necessary .

Same is the case for Juventus. First year back into Serie A after the Calciopoli scandal and they sit in 3rd place. 3rd place means UEFA Champions League qualification (Like in the EPL) but that is all they will achieve. The FIGC will not allow Juve to win the Scudetto in the first year back to the top flight after the scandal. I see this clear with bullpoo referreing not allowing Juve to win games it clearly could of. Even Italian Newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport published a Serie A table on how it should of been minus the Ref bullpoo and it showed Juve easily in first.

This was the only 'on topic' statement you made:

Oh well I guess it is all blah blah rumours full of rubbish then. Either way Ron Dennis will not be making a comeback in 2008. After the scandal (A scandal the world as been lead to belive is real minus the conspiracies) no one ever makes a comeback in the first year. The FIA will simply not allow it.

This is the bashing/un-sporting like comment that I was referring to which was really unnecessary:

So to McLaren for 2008, good luck at winning because I doubt even luck will help you win.

I broke this down for you so you would know exactly what I was refering to in my previous post. You can bash all you like as that is your perogative but to continually do it in every thread just lead's to argument's and to the thread's demise. The going off-topic has gotten out of hand as of late and that also lead's to a thread's demise.

Now back to the topic sorry everyone but I had to get that off my chest for the good of the forum.
Yah I read the main artery of that Autosport article also, thank's for posting it McLaren Fan, as I was trying to find pick's of the F2008 on Autosport's cover so I could make some sort of educated reply to Clark Ickx Alesi thread on the Ferrari tobacco advert topic.

[phren]

Comeback? What do you mean comeback? Have McLaren been away? If you suggested that Williams were making a comeback I could understand (Cmon Frank sell up or ship out) but Uncle Ron has nowhere to come back from. He's here, has never been away.
For the last few decades F1 has been kept alive with the battles between McLaren and Wiliams, McLaren and Renault, McLaren and FIAT and for a period (Senna and Prost) Mclaren and Mclaren.
Comeback? My backside.
Politicaly who stood up to the FIAT/FIA consortium more than Uncle Ron?
If you look at this historicaly you must see that, despite Mclaren's corporate stance they have always taken the view tht F1 must be competative. It's unsurprising that McLaren have been just that bit more competative with the partners they have had (TAG, Porche, Honda). McLaren have always been about pushing the limits of technology and have attracted the personel to do it.
Comeback? Bulsh##.

[Denthúl]

I think the word comeback is used in the sense that McLaren have not won either championship since Hakkinen took his second WDC in 1999. The same as Williams haven't won either since Villeneuve in 1997.