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Dennis to clarify role at McLaren

April 16
Former McLaren team principal Ron Dennis is expected to cut his ties with F1 on Thursday.
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Times Online

Ron Dennis ready to quit Formula One

Ron Dennis, the chairman and driving force behind McLaren Mercedes, is expected to announce today that he is standing down from all involvement with Formula One operations as part of a deal to keep Lewis Hamilton with the team.
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guardian.co.uk

Dennis steps down from McLaren

• Investigation into Australian grand prix forced hand• Lewis Hamilton will lose his mentorRon Dennis has stepped down as chairman of McLaren, the formula one team has confirmed. There had been continued speculation that the 61-year-old would be forced to resign his position after an investigation in the team's actions during the Australian grand prix. He did not travel to China for this weekend's race and is thought to be addressing staff at the team's Woking headquarters.Dennis has been involved in formula one for 43 years but, after what the company called "major restructuring", he has now passed on responsibility for the team to Martin Whitmarsh. "No one asked me to do it," he said. "It was my decision."The former chairman says he will now focus on the automotive side of the company, in which he owns a 15% stake, and hopes to launch a new McLaren sports car in 2011.Dennis gave up his role as team principal on 1 March, to be replaced by Whitmarsh again, and since then the team have faced difficulties after their 2009 car proved to be slower than most of those of their rivals. However it was the incident in the opening race of the season that is thought to have sparked Dennis' exit.Though Lewis Hamilton, Dennis' protégé, finished in fourth in Melbourne – before being promoted to third when Jarno Trulli was penalised by 25 seconds – he was eventually disqualified. Tapes of race conversations with the pit lane showed that the British driver had been instructed to allow Trulli past and further investigation concluded that McLaren had provided "evidence deliberately misleading to the stewards".The investigation into the affair is continuing after Hamilton claimed he was told not to tell the race stewards about the comments of his team director Dave Ryan, who has been sacked. There is a World Motor Sport Council hearing scheduled for 29 April, at which further sanctions are expected.Formula oneLewis HamiltonMcLarenMotor sportguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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B.B.C. NEWS McLaren await 'lying' punishment

Motorsport's governing body, the FIA, meet on Wednesday to decide on McLaren's punishment for misleading Australian Grand Prix officials.
04/28/09
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B.B.C. NEWS McLaren make apology for 'lying'

McLaren write to Formula 1's governing body to apologise for misleading race stewards after the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
04/24/09
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B.B.C. NEWS McLaren likely to face F1 inquiry

Formula 1's bosses are expected to launch an official inquiry into McLaren's behaviour in misleading race stewards after the Australian Grand Prix.
04/06/09
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Times Online - Business Bahrain sets pace as McLaren seeks...

Ron Dennis, the former head of the McLaren Formula One team, appears to have secured his first investor as he seeks £250 million to launch a new range of British-built sports...
04/27/09
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Times Online Nelson Mandela talk drives Lewis...

In his hour of need Lewis Hamilton, Britain’s out-of-sorts Formula One world champion, has turned to one of his great heroes, Nelson Mandela, for inspiration.
04/25/09
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Times Online Lewis Hamilton emulates Michael...

Like a politician going before the cameras at the garden gate to confess to an illicit affair, there was something almost excruciatingly painful about watching Lewis Hamilton...
04/04/09
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Times Online

Lewis Hamilton disqualified by Melbourne stewards

Lewis Hamilton is facing one of the biggest crises of his career after it emerged that he had “deliberately misled” the stewards and the race director of the Australian Grand Prix.
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guardian.co.uk

McLaren get suspended race ban

• World motor sport council suspends three-race ban• 'Change in culture' helps draw line under incidentMcLaren were fortunate to get away with a suspended three-race ban today when the world motor sport council passed judgment on the team's admission that they had lied to race stewards. Lewis Hamilton has avoided further punishment following his disqualification from the Australian grand prix and can focus on the remainder of the season, starting with the Spanish grand prix on 10 May.In a statement the council said: "Having regard to the open and honest way in which [the] McLaren team principal, Mr Martin Whitmarsh, addressed the WMSC and the change in culture which he made clear has taken place in his organisation, the WMSC decided to suspend the application of the penalty it deems appropriate."That penalty is a suspension of the team from three races of the FIA formula one world championship. This will be applied only if further facts emerge regarding the case or if, in the next 12 months, there is a further breach by the team of article 151 (c) of the International Sporting Code."McLaren pleaded guilty on all five counts of breaching the ISC in relation to fraudulent conduct and acts prejudicial to the sport. Hamilton had been promoted from fourth to third place in Australia after Toyota's Jarno Trulli had been judged to have overtaken his McLaren when running behind the safety car. When pit-to-car radio transmissions later revealed that Hamilton had been ordered to let the Toyota overtake, both the reigning world champion and the then McLaren race director, Dave Ryan, continued to deny, at a meeting with the race stewards four days later in Malaysia, that the manoeuvre had been an orchestrated tactical ploy.Within 48 hours Ryan had been sacked after 34 years with the team and Hamilton admitted he had been economical with the truth. On 16 April Ron Dennis, the man behind McLaren's 10 drivers' championships since 1981, stood down as chief executive of McLaren Racing, leaving Martin Whitmarsh in charge after 20 years as his right-hand man. Dennis said his move to the automotive side of the company had nothing to do with the case and denied it was a sop to the FIA and its president, Max Mosley, with whom he had a long-standing and fractious relationship.Whitmarsh, whose offer of resignation was rejected by the McLaren board, began an immediate damage-control campaign that included a letter of profuse apology to the FIA. This appears to have played its part in reducing a punishment that, at worst, could have excluded the team from the 2009 championship. One of the key aspects of the WMSC statement is the reference to "the change in culture" within McLaren. That significant transformation began with the departure of Dennis and the latest example was Whitmarsh's lone appearance at today's hearing,for­going the customary team of lawyers that might have accompanied him.Whitmarsh, who celebrated his 51st birthday today, said: "I would like to thank the FIA world motor sport council members for affording me the opportunity to answer their questions this morning. We are aware that we made serious mistakes in Australia and Malaysia and I was therefore very glad to be able to apologise for those mistakes once again. I was also pleased to be able to assure the FIA WMSC members that we had taken appropriate action with a view to ensuring that such mistakes do not occur again."Given the trauma which ensued and its effect on Hamilton, such mistakes are unlikely to be repeated. Whitmarsh and the team can put a very difficult month behind them and continue to build on their much needed improvement in performance that gave Hamilton fourth place in Bahrain on Sunday. The resurrecting of McLaren's once-proud reputation may take longer, particularly after this affair ripped apart wounds that had only just begun to heal following the much more serious Ferrari spy scandal in 2007.Unlike his predecessor Whitmarsh has learned lessons from two years ago and the only significant casualty on this occasion appears to have been Ryan. Only McLaren know why an employee with an impeccable reputation of 34 years' standing should take it upon himself to engage in a form of subterfuge that was so blatant and basic. Given the former ethic of rigid control and now questionable claims of integrity espoused by Dennis – who was present in Melbourne – it might be fair to assume that the departure of the two men from the team is not unconnected.Formula oneMcLarenLewis HamiltonMotor sportguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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guardian.co.uk Dennis writes off Hamilton's chances

• Former team principle focuses on 2010 title fight• 'Brawn will win a lot of races' says Ron DennisRon Dennis yesterday all but wrote off Lewis Hamilton's chances of a...
04/17/09
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F1 Complete British GP Preview: McLaren

The Vodaphone McLaren Mercedes F1 Team look ahead to their home grand prix in Britain this weekend.
06/15/09
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Times Online Lewis Hamilton has initial doubts...

Lewis Hamilton’s disenchantment with the performance of his McLaren Mercedes in the build-up to the new Formula One season is such that he admitted last night that he may...
03/26/09
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F1-Live.com Dennis confident McLaren will bounce...

Warns Hamilton to take the rough with the smooth Lewis Hamilton may not be able to win this year, but he will be able to add to his championship tally with McLaren in the...
04/17/09
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F1 Complete Hamilton to fight for future McLaren...

Apr.17 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton may not be able to win this year, but he will be able to add to his championship tally with McLaren in the future.
04/17/09
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Times Online Lewis Hamilton will never rid himself...

I cannot believe how McLaren have pinned themselves into this perilous corner. They have now seriously undermined their image and potentially their sporting prospects over...
04/05/09
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F1-Live.com

Lewis Hamilton Q&A

''We are getting there as a team'' Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton brought points home last Sunday at the conclusion of the drenched Chinese Grand Prix when they crossed the finish line in fifth and sixth positions...  
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guardian.co.uk

McLaren get suspended three-race ban

• WMSC praise team principal for 'open and honest' response• Ban will only be enforced if there is a further breachMcLaren have been handed a suspended three-race ban by the World Motor Sport Council after apologising for lying to race officials.The team's pro-active approach in the run up to the extraordinary hearing of the WMSC in Paris appeared to have played its part in softening the blow as McLaren escaped a heavier punishment, having pleaded guilty on all five counts of breaching the International Sporting Code.A WMSC statement read: "Having regard to the open and honest way in which McLaren team principal, Mr Martin Whitmarsh, addressed the WMSC and the change in culture which he made clear has taken place in his organisation, the WMSC decided to suspend the application of the penalty it deems appropriate."That penalty is a suspension of the team from three races of the FIA Formula One World Championship. This will only be applied if further facts emerge regarding the case or if, in the next 12 months, there is a further breach by the team of article 151 c of the International Sporting Code."As expected, reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton has avoided any further punishment after his disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix. Hamilton was initially promoted from fourth to third after the race stewards in Melbourne handed Jarno Trulli a 25-second penalty for passing the Briton behind the safety car.Hamilton and Dave Ryan, since sacked as McLaren sporting director, insisted at the time no order was relayed from the team demanding he allow Trulli to pass. However, evidence in the form of pit-to-car transmissions and an interview Hamilton gave immediately after the race contradicted their story, and resulted in the case being re-opened.Deciding they had been "deliberately misled", the stewards at the Malaysian Grand Prix disqualified Hamilton and McLaren from the classification. Ryan was soon suspended, while Hamilton apologised for his actions in the FIA press conference room in Sepang where he also notably blamed Ryan.The FIA then charged McLaren with five counts of being in breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code which relates to fraudulent conduct and acts prejudicial to the sport. As it was recognised by the FIA that Hamilton had been put in an "impossible position" by Ryan, it appeared at that stage McLaren would be hauled over the coals by the WMSC.However Ryan was sacked, meaning he could not answer to the World Council as they are unable to summon any person no longer in the employ of a particular team. Of considerable significance, Ron Dennis announced his decision to stand down as chairman of the McLaren Group as from 1 June, and as CEO of McLaren Racing with immediate effect.In taking up the running of the automotive side of the company, Dennis insisted his motive had nothing to do with F1. Many observers, though, felt his action was designed to appease the FIA – with whom he has often had a fractious relationship – and to save McLaren, a team he had built up since taking over in 1981.Since his exit, Whitmarsh – whose offer to resign was rejected by the shareholders – has since knocked down a few barriers that had previously existed between his team and the FIA. Celebrating his 51st birthday today, Whitmarsh has kept an open channel between himself and the governing body in a bid to repair the damage, and to deaden the impact of any penalty. That building of bridges appeared today to have played its part in what must be viewed as a lenient sentence.McLarenLewis HamiltonFormula oneMotor sportguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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Times Online Lewis Hamilton forced to apologise...

Lewis Hamilton, the Formula One world champion, admitted yesterday that he had lied to the stewards of Sunday's Australian Grand Prix and said his part in the attempt to cheat...
04/04/09
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F1 Complete FIA Hearing: 3-Race ban for McLaren

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team have been given a 3-race ban, suspended for 12 months, for bringing F1 into disrepute by lying to the stewards at the Australian and Malaysian...
04/29/09
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F1 Complete Dennis steps down as McLaren CEO

Apr.16 (GMM) Ron Dennis on Thursday announced he is ending his involvement with the formula one team McLaren.
04/16/09
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F1 Complete Hamilton 'coy' about McLaren future -...

Apr.18 (GMM) As feared by his McLaren team, Lewis Hamilton's first appearance for the media in Shanghai only sparked new controversy.
04/18/09
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F1-Live.com Hamilton 'coy' about McLaren future

Deflecting a direct question in Shanghai As feared by his McLaren Mercedes team, Lewis Hamilton's first appearance for the media in Shanghai only sparked new controversy...  
04/18/09
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guardian.co.uk Lewis Hamilton fastest in practice

• Briton unexpectedly tops standings at Nürburgring• Sebastian Vettel third fastest ahead of Jensen ButtonLewis Hamilton pulled off a major surprise by setting the fastest...
07/10/09
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