Question: Ron, your stepping down as team principal came as quite a surprise. At a time when all Formula One teams are facing the challenge to reinvent themselves, you’re leaving the bridge. Why now?
Ron Dennis: I’m not leaving the bridge, to use your phrase - I’m not leaving anything. As I made clear at the launch of our 2009 car, the realignment of duties and responsibilities between Martin (Whitmarsh) and me was something that, with his knowledge, I’d been planning for months. After March 1, when the aforementioned realignment will come into operation, I expect to be working harder than ever before. That’s because I’ll be concentrating on leading and growing the McLaren Group, which comprises more than 1300 employees and of which I’ll remain Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
On March 1, Martin will become team principal of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, which is the corporate name of the McLaren Group’s Formula One team. Its cars are designed and built by McLaren Racing, which is part of the McLaren Group - of which, as I say, I’ll remain Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. I’ll still therefore be fundamentally involved in the activities of McLaren Racing and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, simply because they’re both constituent parts of the McLaren Group.
Having said all that, I’m delighted to have been able to pass down the team principal position to Martin, because he deserves it and will do the job exceptionally well. I have enormous confidence in him and in all our staff, whether they be senior or junior. Martin and I have worked very closely together for the past 20 years, and we’ll continue to work very closely together in much the same way throughout 2009 and beyond.
Question: Now that you’ve made up your mind to step aside, you probably see things from a different angle. How can Formula One teams survive? Are the cost-cutting measures enough?
Ron Dennis: A friend of mine once told me that I’m very unusual in that I have the ability to do things which are rarely compatible in human behaviour patterns: pay great attention to detail whilst also seeing the bigger picture. Without being immodest, I believe I can do those two things. That being the case, I’ve been able to focus on devising ways via which Formula One can continue to thrive for many years, even though I was working as a hands-on team principal, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman at the same time. Now, though, under the umbrella of FOTA, working alongside my colleague (FOTA Chairman and Ferrari President) Luca di Montezemolo, I intend to devote more time to these issues.
The result of our cooperation, supported by all the other teams, has already been profound. The cost-cutting measures that FOTA put forward were agreed by (FIA President) Max Mosley, when we met him in Monte-Carlo on December 10, and were taken further when FOTA met again, this time without Max, in London on January 8. As such, FOTA has already achieved great things, and it will achieve even greater things in the weeks, months and years to come.
But that shouldn’t be surprising. You should remember that the FOTA membership consists of a number of Formula One teams - companies - many of which are exceptionally impressive and successful organisations. In good financial times and bad, such companies are well equipped to power through, if I may coin that phrase. We’re not complacent; we’re not reluctant to embrace radical change; we’re not hidebound by on-track rivalries. No, working together for the good of the future of Formula One, we’ll continue to devise powerful strategies and innovations intended to improve our sport so as to make it more affordable, more environmentally friendly and more appealing to spectators and TV viewers.
