- 03 Nov 08, 21:24#78485From autosport.com:
Q & A with Ron Dennis
By Edd Straw Monday, November 3rd 2008, 16:58 GMT
Q. What are your emotions?
Ron Dennis: It's so hard to have the discipline just to do what you've got to do to win. With the Ferraris and Alonso we only had fourth and fifth place to deal with. We covered everything, we took no risks, we conserved tyres, we didn't push and the rain was just a little late in coming, as we couldn't believe Glock was on dry tyres.
We were saying 'how can this be?' and of course we had the decision. Do we fight Vettel or not? In the middle sector Glock was five seconds off the pace and we just said, this is it, just be careful, you'll catch him. Let me tell you - heart stopping stuff.
Q. What were your emotions over those last couple of laps.
RD: We came here so focused and tried not to make mistakes. We could have pushed much harder, we were turning the engine down, saving fuel, trying to make sure that the tyres lasted and that we could push if we had to. All the time that it wasn't raining we could pretty much do all that we wanted. Just pacing ourselves and letting cars come, get close to us. I couldn't believe some of the antics in the last few laps by some of the drivers who were being lapped. We were saying, stay out the way, move here, move there...in the end it was a dream ending.
Q. How was Lewis?
RD: We were very silent in the last couple of laps. We were just telling them what he needed to know. It was challenging.
Q. Is it one of the most emotional moments for you?
RD: I don't think there has been a more exciting world champion or world championship as regards the outcome. It just worked great, didn't it? I'm sure lots of people will have lots of opinions, but as far as we are concerned we came here determined to win the world championship and we did it.
Q. Lewis is the youngest world champion of all time. What kind of a talent is he?
RD: If you look at the statistics, he has won more points in the last two years than any other driver. He's won more races than any other driver, he's had more podiums than any other driver. He's the youngest world champion ever. He just keeps delivering and, at the end of the day, he's just two years into his career. So there's a long way to go.
Q. How about Felipe Massa?
RD: He did everything he had to do. This is where it was decided, but the world championship is over the whole season. And we had some bad luck – Canada at the pit-lane exit when we were in command of the race. He had fuelling problems – all these things. This is the ebb and flow of Grand Prix racing. In the end there can only be one winner and I'm so happy it is Lewis.
Q. After what happened last year, how sweet does this championship taste?
RD: It hasn't sunk in yet. It's one of the best finishes to a world championship ever. I just love Formula One.
Q. Does it erase the pain of last season?
RD: I'm enjoying the moment. I'm not going to think about the past. The thing to do is get packed up, and we've got a big party planned tonight which would have been a very expensive wake! It'll take a while to sink in.
Q. And your future?
RD: I haven't given any thought to anything other than winning the world championship.
Q. When Sebastian passed Lewis did your heart sink?
RD: We knew there was a lot of rain coming and we were trying to decide: Do we fight? Do we not fight? There was no way Glock was going to stay on the road ahead of us in those conditions. In the end, you have to call these things, you have to get it right. It's a hero to zero sport and fortunately we got it right today.
Q. It has been nine years since the last championship. What does it mean to you?
RD: We win as a team and lose as a team. I don't think any individual...obviously Lewis is the world champion but the team has got a lot of depth and they work so hard. The developments we brought here give us the ability to pace ourselves. It's very hard to squeeze out of the system. We've improved the car two and a half seconds since Melbourne, as has our competition. At the end of the day it was a very challenging race but a great outcome.
Dennis hints at revised McLaren role
By Jonathan Noble and Steven English Monday, November 3rd 2008, 15:21 GMT
McLaren boss Ron Dennis has hinted that he will move aside as team principal to take an active role in a new McLaren sportscar project.
He considered the possibility of stepping aside to focus on other responsibilities within the McLaren Group last winter, but decided to commit to one more season.
Now he says his role may change over the coming months, but insists that he will still attend races next season.
"Nothing that will unfold over the next few months will be as a result of yesterday," said Dennis, speaking in a press conference on Monday.
"I have still got several ambitions I want to fulfill, but you will most definitely see me at Grands Prix and it is something I like too much to take out of my life. You will see me on the pitwall, I will be at races.
"I think over the next few months I will make it abundantly clear what I am doing and why I am doing it, but it would have taken place no matter what. Don't read too much into it."
McLaren will shortly launch a production car programme and Dennis says that diversity is vital for the future of the company, and that he is eager to be involved in that.
"It's very close to being publicly launched," he said. "Obviously this economic situation makes life very difficult when you are trying to raise the capital it requires, but the programme is extremely advanced and this is something I have got as much passion for as the F1 car.
"My role will broaden in some aspects and reduce in others. I have believed passionately in the need for a Grand Prix team to diversify and it is not by accident that McLaren is a group of companies, we do intend to try to match the success of Ferrari and to do that we cannot just be a Grand Prix team.
"We want as broad a possible a base for the company, not just the race but also making sportscars. We want to be bigger and better than just a Grand Prix team - it's critical to survival.
"If you go back in history you can see clear examples of teams who have stayed unique to F1 who have just failed. You cannot sustain an F1 team indefinitely, you need to diversify."
Ayrton Senna: WDC 1988,
1989, 1990, 1991
McLaren: WCC 1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998,
1999, 2007McLaren: WDC 1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2008
So glad to see you staying! Max tried to finish you and just made you stay longer 
A good reason why..... 
And to anyone wondering wtf? He has many times privately done this to me and I have had enough. Bud it is only a sport. I insult Ron Dennis, go and insult Schumacher or someone back. You don't like him as much as I don't like Ron Dennis. But don't make it personal as I don't to you or anyone else.
