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Ron Dennis vacates McLaren F1's CEO position after 35 years

McLaren's Ron Dennis, one of the biggest names in F1 history, is stepping down from his CEO position after 35 years. Dennis was told on Tuesday he must give up his position as McLaren's chairman and chief executive, reports the BBC. Dennis, who holds a 25-percent stake in McLaren, attempted to contest the shareholders' decision to put him on so-called "gardening leave" redundancy. Reports say McLaren's other owners, TAG Group CEO Mansour Ojjeh and the Bahrain-based investment fund Mumtalakat, ousted him due to being at odds with Dennis' management style. Ojjeh holds another 25-percent stake in McLaren, and Mumtalakat holds the remaining 50 percent. According to Dennis, the rest of the management team warned Ojjeh about the possible consequences of removing him from McLaren. As Dennis says, "My management style is the same as it has always been and is one that has enabled McLaren to become an automotive and technology group that has won 20 Formula 1 World Championships and grown into an GBP850m-a-year business." Due to differences in vision regarding McLaren's future, there was no other option for Dennis than to leave the company. Dennis will still retain his 25-percent stake in the company and remain on the boards of both McLaren Technology Group and McLaren Automotive. Dennis states he plans to launch a new technology investment fund as soon as his contractual commitments expire; he also pledges to "use his McLaren board seat to protect the interest of the business and its 3,500 employees." McLaren has failed to win a F1 title after Lewis Hamilton's drivers' championship eight years ago and the latest constructors' title was won in 1998, 18 years ago.Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: BBC SportImage Credit: Mark Thompson via Getty Images Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Motorsports McLaren

McLaren Senna First Drive Review | What's in a name

LISBON, Portugal — Ferrari owners don't just buy a car, they buy an image of performance and sophistication. Let's be honest: this reflected glory is a primary motivating factor for supercar ownership, and it's great for self-esteem. More to the point, it's sustained Ferrari for the last 70 years. And now McLaren, on a much steeper learning curve, is catching on that supercars need more than just dominating performance figures to reach the next level. If you're going to name your car after Ayrton Senna, it had better be something special. Evidence is provided by the fact that the McLaren Senna isn't just wickedly fast, it puts you in the driving seat of a car named after one of the most revered F1 drivers in history, built by the road car arm of the team that powered him to three championships. Driving it might not make you his equal, but the marketing gold is self-evident. McLaren isn't letting this opportunity slip through its grasp, not least in its choice of launch venue — Estoril circuit outside of Lisbon, the scene of Ayrton Senna's first Grand Prix win back in 1985. The manner of that victory, conducted in pouring rain and seeing him lap all but one of the field, set in place a legend. OK, he did it in a Lotus and not a McLaren. But given how many of the people behind this car also started their careers at Lotus, that's kind of appropriate, too. Thankfully it's not raining when I arrive at Estoril, so we won't be required to display similarly God-given driving talent. That doesn't make it much less intimidating, though. Having had the full technical deep dive, I confess to approaching this drive with a degree of trepidation. Sure, it's road car with street tires, air-con and touchscreen navigation. But 789 horsepower in a car weighing less than 2,900 pounds, fueled and ready to roll? The Senna's 1,764 pounds of downforce at 155 mph is an impressive number, but pretty much an abstract concept unless you live on the track. But its 0-124 mph time, a whole second faster than a hybrid-enhanced P1? That's one to wake you up. Likewise, a track briefing before heading onto the track revealed that our braking point from 180 mph for Estoril's first turn will be 60 feet past what it would be in a 720S. A few reconnaissance laps reveal Estoril to be narrow, technical, and with an odd mix of slow, tight corners and hugely committed high-speed ones. All with authentic, mid-1980s quantities of run-off. Which is to say, not much.

McLaren teases 6 bespoke versions of its 570GT

McLaren fans, have a look at this: The luxury brand says it's offering six bespoke 570GT models from its McLaren Special Operations division to select buyers in the U.K., Germany and the Netherlands. The models, finished in "XP Green" exterior paint, are inspired by traditional British automotive colors and a Le Mans-winning McLaren F1 XP GT. The exterior paint scheme is the same color as the F1 XP GT "Longtail" model built in 1997. It also gets Saddle Tan aero pin striping on the front aero blades, side skirts and rear diffuser, plus door striping in the same color that extends to the rear from a subtle Union Jack emblem finished in silver-grey. Under the hood, the sports car boasts a 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged McLaren V8 that delivers 562 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, same as the 570GT Coupe. It goes 0-60 in 3.3 seconds. The F1 XP GT won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995 on its first attempt. McLaren later developed the Longtail version, marked by its extended rear bodywork and deep bottle-green paint finis, now reserved for bespoke commissions. The company says the MSO content in each coupe is identical and adds 21,000 pounds (U.S. $26,000) to the final price of the vehicle, which will range depending on options chosen. For example, one package that includes a By McLaren Designer interior and an upgrade pack, including vehicle lift, rear view camera and premium audio system, brings the price tag to the equivalent of $225,373. Upset you missed out on this offering? Don't be. The company says it's responsive to demands for more personalization and additional color and trim choices. "As well as making it possible for individual McLaren owners to have exactly the McLaren they want, McLaren Special Operations will continue to create limited-volume collections such as these six 570GT models in XP Green, to further extend customer choice," said Jolyon Nash, McLaren Automotive Executive Director, Global Sales and Marketing.