Friday, May 1, 2009

'Dennis's departure saved McLaren'

Thursday 30th April 2009

Both Martin Whitmarsh and Max Mosley have hinted that it was Ron Dennis's exit from the team that saved McLaren from a harsh punishment in Wednesday's WMSC hearing.

Following the FIA's decision to slap McLaren with five charges relating to Liargate, McLaren announced that Dennis would step down as McLaren CEO - and it appears as if that is what saved the team from a heavy penalty.

'On Wednesday, as relieved McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh emerged from a 50 minute hearing with his team in the clear, the sense that Dennis had paid the biggest price for his role in the affair was unavoidable,' reports the Daily Telegraph.

'In a comment which appeared to be a reference to Dennis's decision to step sideways and become executive chairman of McLaren Automotive, Whitmarsh said afterwards: "Anyone involved in a decision to mislead the stewards has now left."'

A concurring Daily Mail also claims that while Whitmarsh's comments could also be in reference to sporting director Dave Ryan, who was sacked by McLaren for his part in lying to the Australian race stewards, 'it is understood that WMSC members were convinced that the comment alluded to Dennis's complicity.'

Meanwhile, Mosley also hinted that Dennis's departure had been the crucial factor in deciding the punishment.

"I don't think so," he told the BBC when asked whether McLaren's three-race suspended ban was too lenient. "In the end there were decisions taken by the people who are no longer involved. That being the case, it would have been unfair to go on with the matter."

Source : Planet F1

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