Former McLaren boss lifts the lid on his shocking departure from the team in 2017

Former McLaren Racing CEO Ron Dennis claimed that he wasn't 'forced out' of the team but rather chose to leave after his contract ran out in 2017. The legendary team boss was a key contributor to the success of the Woking-based F1 team for 37 years before handing over the reins to Zak Brown.

Dennis was known for having a tight grip over the workings of the British team so his exit into 2017 sent shockwaves throughout the F1 paddock. Despite reports of him being forced out from the team, Dennis claimed that he simply chose to leave as he was 70 years old.

Speaking with BBC, the former McLaren man pointed out that he had some 'disagreements' with the co-owner Mansour Ojjeh. He said (via PlanetF1):

“I wasn’t [forced out]. I was 70 years old. My contract with the company finished in January 2017. We did have significant disagreements over the fact that I had built a technology company and I wanted to push forward as a technology company."

“He [Ojjeh] and other members of the board were focused on Formula 1 when we had proven so effectively that we could build a great car company, we had a great technology division."

The 76-year-old admitted that things "got a little scrappy at the end, I have to say, primarily driven by a disagreement over the value of my shares.”

---

McLaren team boss chimes in about Andrea Stella's hesitance to lead the team

McLaren CEO Zak Brown stated that team principal Andrea Stella was hesitant to take the job when it was first offered to him in 2018 and was a key reason behind the team going to Andreas Seidl.

Appearing on Beyond The Grid Podcast, the American spoke about Stella's nature and his hesitance, saying:

“He felt he wasn't ready at the time so we didn't promote him. He didn't want to be promoted but he then got a bigger role. Even when we promoted him this time around, when I called him, it wasn't an immediate yes. It was: ‘Let me reflect.’ He reflects, he's very thoughtful."

“Even then it was like: ‘well, tell me more and what do you think? When do you think I'd be good at it?’ He looks in a mirror to see – ‘what do you think my strengths and weaknesses are?’ He felt he wasn't ready in 2018. I thought he probably was. But he’s certainly turned out to be ready now.”

Under the leadership of Andrea Stella, McLaren finished P4 in the Constructor's Championship in the 2023 season after a rough first half of the year. They managed to build on their momentum in 2024 as they are currently P3 behind Red Bull and Ferrari while having a race win to their name courtesy of Lando Norris in Miami.