Met this man about 20yrs ago. Was working in a very exclusive private golf course. It was actually a Phillip Morris event. I had an old Monaco programme that I asked Ron if he could sign it. No problem he says,see me when I'm leaving. I was actually not at reception when he checked out but another part of the course estate. Mr Dennis waited at least 20 minutes for me to appear. Signed it had a chat and shook my hand and left. An absolute gentleman. Would love to meet him again.
I have never seen this interview. But I worked directly for Ron as a consultant for AV and IT in the development of the MTC. A very difficult man to work for but I totally understood his desire for perfection and attention to detail. Such was my ability to work to his standards, he then employed me to work with the team as a consultant again designing the on track hospitality buildings. I have never worked with any other client that had such high standards and for me this was the best pressure I ever had. As an F1 fan there was only one other F1 project I did (Jordan) this was the one I was most proud of. Thank you Ron
I must admit that he comes across as a bit of an Elon .., but with English reserve ... I feel he likes 25 hour days ... ie could be a real pain to work for ... BUT i think they should have asked him to organise Brexit ...
Mr Dennis, you will have lifelong respect for what you did for Ayrton after the 1989 GP in Japan, defending him with all that passion! Thank you for that.
I was overjoyed to work for McLaren & meet Ron. Great bloke. Tough boss yes, but that's needed to make a winning Team. It was great to meet him & a pleasure to work for him
I cannot believe he lost control of McLaren, as people say it was his team, he was ousted because he had a different vision. Sad but he will always be remembered as the man that made McLaren what it is today no question.
@@ENDWOKEDEGENERACYthis actually makes sense and is for me one of the missing pieces when looking at what happened as a whole. i had no idea he was that old when all that stuff was going on, but it makes complete sense now, as does the way what happened was spun in the media.
I've always loved Ron's work ethic and respect him immensely the way he started with nothing and built up McLaren to the multi million pound F1 Racing team. I miss him at the track.
Absolute hats off to the producers of this. Incredible to hear Ron Dennis who was so private and reserved to be so open and intimate. Very inspirational man
Other than his obvious stunning contribution to Mclaren's Formula 1 history, I admire the way he let Gordon Murray design his own road car, with no interference and just let him get on with it. Result was the F1, the greatest road car (in my opinion) ever made.
When I lived in Surrey.. id help my mum on her sandwich round (1986 1985)...I think...we used to sell out of the boot of her lancia fulvia..mclaren were working out of a large shed near Harry Mannings garage...and Ron gave me mclaren/Malboro. Stickers for the entire season..his drivers hated each other...prost and senna..( I never met them)...Great man .
This interview is a gold nugget after one other, from beginning to end. Do not underestimate the passage about social media. Utterly mind blowing for how he puts it down so simply and raw. And so true. As an italian born in between the motorvalley and Valentino Rossi's Tavullia, super fan of Ferrari and Gilles in particular I've always seen Ron Dennis as an enemy and the evil. Growing up I've learned to respect him to the highest degree. I have the deepest admiration for him as an enterpreneur, a leader, a sage of motorsport and not last for his humanity as emerged in many occasions especially in his relationship with Ayrton. Even more than I could ever respect or admire Enzo.
Enzo, Colin Campman, Ron, John Cooper, Bruce McLaren, Ken Tyrell, Frank Williams....who wins?! All of them, all cut from the same cloth. Brilliant men, driven by competition, all their cars reflect that, without them we would drive boxes.
I smiled when he made reference to social media … couldnt agree more … a wonderful interview and such a gentleman, thought but fair from the commentary seen here
I was lucky enough to do some helicopter charter flights for McLaren's guests in the early 90's at the British and European Grand Prix. My experience of Ron was that he was a man of the utmost integrity who was always gracious and kind to deal with as an individual. His achievement's in business is a shining example to all of us. I was absolutely appalled how he was treated by the other share holders of McLaren and how he was effectively ousted out of the company he built to the powerhouse it is today. At last he has been given the Knighthood that was many years overdue. Best wishes Ron and many thanks for the help you gave me.
@@paul-ie6wi According to Gerhard Berger, it was he himself (Berger) that threw Senna's briefcase out of a helicopter. He was known for his pranks and as mentioned by robk181 Senna was boasting about the indistructibility of his briefcase. Additionally, it contained a freshly signed McLaren contract.
Just an ordinary fan but joined McLaren's fanclub. Got Tag Heuer watches at a fabulous discount when they were more than a £1000 over 20 years ago. Got a day loose in the paddock all access for pre-British GP testing and a flying lap round the circuit in a McLaren helicopter. Went to Belgium on a team organised trip; we all got embroidered McLaren Polo shirts with our individual name on it and taken into the pitlane after qualifying. I got a visit to McLaren HQ with my Dad for an organised tour. I even got to write an article for their magazine Racing Line. I cannot thank Sir Ron enough for making all these opportunities available to ordinary fans who aren't wealthy, sponsors or corporate guests. Compare this to the vast majority of teams not even bothering to allow visits to their facilities or if you are prepared to do so, pay £300 for a 2 hour tour of the RB factory in Milton Keynes per person.
So pleased this interview has resurfaced! Love just hearing him talk un- interrupted and openly about his whole career. Watched this many times before.
Ron, What a wonderful engineer, entrepreneur, family man and humanitarian. High morals and to the point. A mind of knowledge. Thanks of the negotiation and marketing tips Ron. "Positioning McLaren as a technology company first" 👍 Way ahead of everyone again. Consulting your services out is a great way to foster internal talent, attract new talent and reduce R&D costs for your F1 team. John Barnard "Leave the hole exposed to remind me on a daily bases I made a mistake" perfection 👌 Ohh, What anyone of use here would do for a sit down and chat with Ron over coffee.
I once commented to Mark Priestley "Where's Ron Dennis when we need him". He agreed. I don't think that Mr. Dennis needs to worry about his legacy with regard to the public at large. He is well above the corporate bean counters.
As one of those who worked for Ron back in the Rondel days (73), he was obviously a man who was going places, for me it's been fascinating to watch his journey for the last 50 yrs !! #timeflies
I am a qualified business advisor and mentor, my degrees are in business management. Nothing on my courses remotely match up with how Ron managed his businesses. He is amazing. I have wondered for years as I watched him on tv at races and in interviews if I would get on with him personally. I believe I would because he seems to have the one quality I put above all others and that is integrity. He seems to be a person who values integrity very highly and I really respect him for that. Would I get on with him as a boss? I highly doubt it, he would drive me mad, would I enjoy his company as a friend? I believe I would and I believe he would reciprocate. But I think we’d have some spirited discussions where we disagree. Great man
He was also absolutely ruthless..that's glossed over in this vid......and single-minded ruthlessness is a vital quality in his success story. The folk who eventually ousted him from McLaren were also equally ruthless. That does not mean unethical.
I was waiting for years for this documentary. It always touch me life stories as Ron’s. The level of commitment and heart to achieve his dreams is an example for all of us. The way he dealt with Senna was capital to capture my attention. What the shareholders did with him is just an example of how vicious money can be. Wish you the very best Sir Ron. You’re a true gentleman. Thanks for sharing the video.
Even today, when I think of McLaren, it's impossible not to think about Mr Dennis. It is not easy, seeking perfection, but sometimes having to settle for less....
It is a very open and honest interview without an interviewer of McLaren's boss, Ron Dennis Heay, and in your face, honesty. Full of respect for this gentleman. Slainte 👍 ❤
So so disgusting that he was ousted by McLaren's shareholders!! They should be ashamed of themselves. He was a massive visionary. He bui McLaren into the giant brand it is today. He deserves so much credit
t's amazing how many great ideas and innovations the team had under Ron Dennis' leadership. Unfortunately, most of those ideas were not accepted, because they would have gained an unfair advantage over the other teams. On the other hand, some of Ron's innovations are still present in F1 today.
He Will always Mr McLaren to me. There should be a statue erected in his honour, the team, in my opinion wouldn't be where they are today if it wasn't for the dedication and passion of Ron Dennis.
I sincerely hope i cross paths with this gentleman one day & have long deep conversations, or just hear him talking, i don't mind. If not, then i'll content myself with this wonderful interview.
Being a Ferrari supporter all my life I used to hate Ron. But I have to admit and after listening to this he was a genius. He has my admiration. He always will be McLaren. Irreplaceable.
I never copped it that he had a accident with the Jaguar car he had at a young age and conflicted a large amount of cuts as I only noticed the scars just now. Jeez he is lucky to be alive and tell the tales of his life
Thinking back, Ron was right about the exclusive engine deal with Honda. now look how successful Red Bull has been with that engine, this could and should have been McLaren.
Im still surprised that no other team for example Aston Martin or Williams got Ron Dennid on board. He would be my first call if I were Stroll or Dolton Capital.
Great video. Did a tour 20 years ago of the McLaren Headquarters in Woking after a lunch with Jack Brabham. This video gives great context to that memory.
So what do we think? I admire his own perspective; I don't agree with everything but I do believe he was a visionary for F1. John Barnard is a proper bloke and an absolute geezer ❤
Another one of those interesting persons in F1 . It's the communication of the individuals that got me interested in it . Good presentation of Ron here . I went and looked up the McLaren HQ ....Nice !!!
Along with Chapman , Enzo , Stewart and Williams , Dennis was devoted to the sport, always 100% focused on detail and performance. Difficult to work for? Quite probably, as are most perfectionists but that does not mean there are not decent folk. I think, had he lived , Graham Hill would have madeba great success as a team boss.
Very insightful interview. I realise I never understood Ron Dennis. I believe Harry Ferguson tossed a coin when selling his company to Massey Harris in the 1950’s. Heads was 17million dollars tails was 16 million! So he lost a million dollars on the coin toss but concluded the deal!
Haha! At 1:19:00 Ron mentions the NZ Americas Cup team came and asked McLaren to explain composites to them...they went away, they didn't have any money! Pretty much sums up any outfit from NZ. But probably also summed up Bruce McLaren several decades earlier. Lots of ideas and effort but no money, at least to start with. I found that quite interesting. Not sure Ron saw the irony.
I did some design work for a Woking company which had an accountant who had also been employed by McLaren during the Kimi Raikkonen days. Apparently, the fun-loving Kimi had dropped his trousers at some London club and of which a stolen photo appeared in a daily rag. Both Kimi and his manager were hauled in front of a furious Ron whose office was well down the corridor of the accountant who said that it might as well have been right next door judging by the volume of Ron's screaming.
Great insights. Thx. I’ve followed F1 since the 80s and didn’t know many of the things Ron spoke about. BUT - given it was so long, I found the background music a real annoyance. In fact almost disrespectful to Ron as it’s not needed. His words alone are what it’s all about. Please consider to edit. At least dial down the volume. Blimey I’m towards then end @1.36 the volume is just ridiculous! And so distracting. It really cheapens it.
No question that Mr Dennis is a titanic profile in F1 history up there with Cooper, Ferrari and Chapman plus very few others. The acquisition of McLaren's control is a masterpiece as it is the decision to hire John Barnard. It is the closing remark "I am a very principled person" which leaves the audience puzzled if someone remembers the Ferrari gate and the ensuing lying to the FIA which started his downfall . An unpleasant blot on his copybook otherwise perfect.
Ron IS McLaren. McLaren is a shadow of itself without him. You only need to visit MTC and see the mismatched floor tiles and other such lack of attention to detail. Ron would never have settled for such things, McLaren was all about high technology and attention to detail.
Being a long time McLaren fan I've got as much respect for Ron as anyone however the reality was that when he left the organisation the team had the worst engine, one of the worst chassis, it had fallen well behind in facilities, had a poor book of sponsors and wasn't addressing its shortcomings in management structure. The tiles at the MTC may have all been uniform however they were 9th in the constructors.
@@calumscott8737 Actually, they finished 6th in the constructors in 2016 -- you're thinking of the next year when Zak Brown took over and tanked the entire organization and they dropped to 9th. In 2016 under Ron, the team had a solid chassis, and were regularly running 5th/6th (even with the Honda lawn mower engines, which would usually expire during a race). They also had one of the strongest driver lineups in F1 history, and had built an impressive list of new personnel (most who quit when Ron was booted). Other than Mercedes in 2016, no other team was doing well, either (c'mon, second place Red Bull finished 268 points behind Mercedes!). McLaren under Ron never had many sponsors, and this was clearly intentional as it kept the car space clean and easy to read the sponsors, and also attracted high-end sponsors. Few sponsors, but they were all valuable deals. It took years for Zak Brown to cover every square inch of the cars with sponsors (most of which no one has ever heard of, if they can even read through that mess); but I bet 50% or more of those sponsors combined aren't worth as much as one sponsorship deal under Ron.
@@Arctic_Falcon You’ll recall that under Ron’s watch McLaren finished 9th in 2015, 6th in 2016 and in the shadow of Ron’s legacy 9th again in 2017. Why was that? 2 reasons - the drop back from 6th to 9th was when Honda dropped the 2016 engine concept (no more development potential) and went with a new Mercedes inspired design - so, a new experimental Honda engine. Second reason, McLaren hadn’t yet realised just how bad its chassis was - that’s why they hadn’t been winning in the pre-Honda (Mercedes) days from 2013/2014. Ron’s McLaren team principal Eric Boullier was completely ineffective at reversing any of the issues McLaren were facing and it wasn’t a surprise to see him being ejected not long after Zak took over. What if Ron hadn’t left? With his insistence on not changing his 80’s management style it’s likely McLarens F1 team would have continued in its death spiral with no significant sponsors (plus side plenty of clean space on the car 😂), terrible on track results and unable to attract top talent like Andreas Seidel or Peter Prodromu. With the F1 team becoming a liability Ron would have exited McLaren from F1 and focussed on turning the McLaren brand into a technology company - but you’ll know that already as Ron’s openly talked about those plans. Under Zaks Management Death spiral has been reversed Constant podiums and winning multiple races Top constructors scorers in the last 8 races, momentum suggests FIRST CONSTRUCTORS TITLE THIS CENTURY later this year Best driver line up on the grid Best aero, engineering and manufacturing capacity on the grid Attracting top talent like Peter Prodromou, Rob Marshall etc Huge book of sponsors including high value blue chips like Mastercard and Alphabet Profitable! Let me know if there’s anything else you’re needing cleared up.
@@Arctic_Falcon Zandvoort 2024 Zak Brown: McLaren win again McLaren outscoring Red Bull again (8 times out of 9) McLaren upgrades hitting the mark and adding performance Both championships tightening Examples of ZB doing a terrible job 🤣🤣🤣
Met this man about 20yrs ago. Was working in a very exclusive private golf course. It was actually a Phillip Morris event. I had an old Monaco programme that I asked Ron if he could sign it. No problem he says,see me when I'm leaving. I was actually not at reception when he checked out but another part of the course estate. Mr Dennis waited at least 20 minutes for me to appear. Signed it had a chat and shook my hand and left.
An absolute gentleman. Would love to meet him again.
That was humble of.him, and to think your gesture of a random signature request might even even made his day, given his commitment to it!
I have never seen this interview. But I worked directly for Ron as a consultant for AV and IT in the development of the MTC. A very difficult man to work for but I totally understood his desire for perfection and attention to detail. Such was my ability to work to his standards, he then employed me to work with the team as a consultant again designing the on track hospitality buildings. I have never worked with any other client that had such high standards and for me this was the best pressure I ever had. As an F1 fan there was only one other F1 project I did (Jordan) this was the one I was most proud of. Thank you Ron
Wow that’s amazing xxx
I must admit that he comes across as a bit of an Elon .., but with English reserve ... I feel he likes 25 hour days ... ie could be a real pain to work for ... BUT i think they should have asked him to organise Brexit ...
Mr Dennis, you will have lifelong respect for what you did for Ayrton after the 1989 GP in Japan, defending him with all that passion! Thank you for that.
I was overjoyed to work for McLaren & meet Ron. Great bloke. Tough boss yes, but that's needed to make a winning Team. It was great to meet him & a pleasure to work for him
Ron’s commitment will never be replicated.
commitment to being a cheat?
A true legend who helped architect today’s F1, I only wish we he was in F1 now.
I cannot believe he lost control of McLaren, as people say it was his team, he was ousted because he had a different vision. Sad but he will always be remembered as the man that made McLaren what it is today no question.
Unfortunately that’s what happens when you have to have share holders which he needed to do his road car production.
His failing out Mansour Ojjeh was pivotal. Ojjeh very much had the ear of the Bahrainis who where by now majority shareholders.
He denies this. Said he wanted to leave. He was 70 and was done. The “issue” and dispute was the price of his shares.
@@ENDWOKEDEGENERACYthis actually makes sense and is for me one of the missing pieces when looking at what happened as a whole. i had no idea he was that old when all that stuff was going on, but it makes complete sense now, as does the way what happened was spun in the media.
they are clearly better off without him. CLEARLY
I've always loved Ron's work ethic and respect him immensely the way he started with nothing and built up McLaren to the multi million pound F1 Racing team. I miss him at the track.
Absolute hats off to the producers of this. Incredible to hear Ron Dennis who was so private and reserved to be so open and intimate. Very inspirational man
💯
Other than his obvious stunning contribution to Mclaren's Formula 1 history, I admire the way he let Gordon Murray design his own road car, with no interference and just let him get on with it. Result was the F1, the greatest road car (in my opinion) ever made.
Probably the most insightful interview I've ever heard.
When I lived in Surrey.. id help my mum on her sandwich round (1986 1985)...I think...we used to sell out of the boot of her lancia fulvia..mclaren were working out of a large shed near Harry Mannings garage...and Ron gave me mclaren/Malboro. Stickers for the entire season..his drivers hated each other...prost and senna..( I never met them)...Great man .
Thank you Ron for your contributions to F1 history. An absolute gentleman.
This interview is a gold nugget after one other, from beginning to end.
Do not underestimate the passage about social media. Utterly mind blowing for how he puts it down so simply and raw. And so true.
As an italian born in between the motorvalley and Valentino Rossi's Tavullia, super fan of Ferrari and Gilles in particular I've always seen Ron Dennis as an enemy and the evil.
Growing up I've learned to respect him to the highest degree. I have the deepest admiration for him as an enterpreneur, a leader, a sage of motorsport and not last for his humanity as emerged in many occasions especially in his relationship with Ayrton. Even more than I could ever respect or admire Enzo.
Enzo, Colin Campman, Ron, John Cooper, Bruce McLaren, Ken Tyrell, Frank Williams....who wins?! All of them, all cut from the same cloth. Brilliant men, driven by competition, all their cars reflect that, without them we would drive boxes.
I smiled when he made reference to social media … couldnt agree more … a wonderful interview and such a gentleman, thought but fair from the commentary seen here
Thank you Ron for your contributions to F1 history. What a legend.
I was lucky enough to do some helicopter charter flights for McLaren's guests in the early 90's at the British and European Grand Prix. My experience of Ron was that he was a man of the utmost integrity who was always gracious and kind to deal with as an individual. His achievement's in business is a shining example to all of us. I was absolutely appalled how he was treated by the other share holders of McLaren and how he was effectively ousted out of the company he built to the powerhouse it is today. At last he has been given the Knighthood that was many years overdue. Best wishes Ron and many thanks for the help you gave me.
I did a flying lap in the McLaren chopper at Silverstone for pre-British GP. Thrilling experience for ordinary fan.
Didn’t he throw Gerard burgers briefcase out of a helicopter once? Maybe was senna….maybe I have got this story wrong 😂😂
@@paul-ie6wiSenna was showing Berger his fancy super strong carbon fibre briefcase, so Gerhard tested it by gravity from the chopper
@@robk181 hahahahah that sounds about right ! lol cheers man
@@paul-ie6wi According to Gerhard Berger, it was he himself (Berger) that threw Senna's briefcase out of a helicopter. He was known for his pranks and as mentioned by robk181 Senna was boasting about the indistructibility of his briefcase. Additionally, it contained a freshly signed McLaren contract.
Just an ordinary fan but joined McLaren's fanclub. Got Tag Heuer watches at a fabulous discount when they were more than a £1000 over 20 years ago. Got a day loose in the paddock all access for pre-British GP testing and a flying lap round the circuit in a McLaren helicopter. Went to Belgium on a team organised trip; we all got embroidered McLaren Polo shirts with our individual name on it and taken into the pitlane after qualifying.
I got a visit to McLaren HQ with my Dad for an organised tour. I even got to write an article for their magazine Racing Line.
I cannot thank Sir Ron enough for making all these opportunities available to ordinary fans who aren't wealthy, sponsors or corporate guests. Compare this to the vast majority of teams not even bothering to allow visits to their facilities or if you are prepared to do so, pay £300 for a 2 hour tour of the RB factory in Milton Keynes per person.
Always liked Ron. Appreciate not everybody does. (No, never met him and don't know him personally.) But I like him.
So pleased this interview has resurfaced! Love just hearing him talk un- interrupted and openly about his whole career. Watched this many times before.
Ron, What a wonderful engineer, entrepreneur, family man and humanitarian. High morals and to the point. A mind of knowledge. Thanks of the negotiation and marketing tips Ron.
"Positioning McLaren as a technology company first" 👍 Way ahead of everyone again. Consulting your services out is a great way to foster internal talent, attract new talent and reduce R&D costs for your F1 team.
John Barnard "Leave the hole exposed to remind me on a daily bases I made a mistake" perfection 👌
Ohh, What anyone of use here would do for a sit down and chat with Ron over coffee.
I once commented to Mark Priestley "Where's Ron Dennis when we need him". He agreed. I don't think that Mr. Dennis needs to worry about his legacy with regard to the public at large. He is well above the corporate bean counters.
As one of those who worked for Ron back in the Rondel days (73), he was obviously a man who was going places, for me it's been fascinating to watch his journey for the last 50 yrs !! #timeflies
Neil T is still working for Mclaren to this day!
I am a qualified business advisor and mentor, my degrees are in business management. Nothing on my courses remotely match up with how Ron managed his businesses. He is amazing. I have wondered for years as I watched him on tv at races and in interviews if I would get on with him personally. I believe I would because he seems to have the one quality I put above all others and that is integrity. He seems to be a person who values integrity very highly and I really respect him for that. Would I get on with him as a boss? I highly doubt it, he would drive me mad, would I enjoy his company as a friend? I believe I would and I believe he would reciprocate. But I think we’d have some spirited discussions where we disagree.
Great man
He was also absolutely ruthless..that's glossed over in this vid......and single-minded ruthlessness is a vital quality in his success story. The folk who eventually ousted him from McLaren were also equally ruthless. That does not mean unethical.
Ron is one of the F1 greats
I was waiting for years for this documentary. It always touch me life stories as Ron’s. The level of commitment and heart to achieve his dreams is an example for all of us.
The way he dealt with Senna was capital to capture my attention.
What the shareholders did with him is just an example of how vicious money can be.
Wish you the very best Sir Ron. You’re a true gentleman.
Thanks for sharing the video.
Senna and Dennis are the reason i am a Mclaren fan to this day.
amazing mclaren will always be Rons team
Excelent interview. Ron Dennis is a great entrepreneour. He has made Mclaren what it is today and years to come. Congratulations.
Shame about the persistent, droning background music. Distracting and unnecessary.
Still a great insight into a real F1 hero
It’s to avoid copyright issues and,as such measures are, not intrusive at all.
Even today, when I think of McLaren, it's impossible not to think about Mr Dennis. It is not easy, seeking perfection, but sometimes having to settle for less....
I absolutely love listening to Ron Dennis.
I'd take F1 personalities like Dennis and Williams every time over the crop of showbiz team managers of today.
That Toto lad is a bore
It is a very open and honest interview without an interviewer of McLaren's boss, Ron Dennis Heay, and in your face, honesty. Full of respect for this gentleman.
Slainte 👍 ❤
A truly great Englishman in a wonderful,revealing Interview.
Unbeatable stuff!!
So so disgusting that he was ousted by McLaren's shareholders!! They should be ashamed of themselves. He was a massive visionary. He bui McLaren into the giant brand it is today. He deserves so much credit
No friends in business a cliche I know but very true
t's amazing how many great ideas and innovations the team had under Ron Dennis' leadership. Unfortunately, most of those ideas were not accepted, because they would have gained an unfair advantage over the other teams.
On the other hand, some of Ron's innovations are still present in F1 today.
Absolute legend of a man, for what he has achieved in the sport.. not many who wouldn't take their hat of to Big Ron!!!
McLaren to the core.. 💥💥💥💥
He Will always Mr McLaren to me. There should be a statue erected in his honour, the team, in my opinion wouldn't be where they are today if it wasn't for the dedication and passion of Ron Dennis.
I sincerely hope i cross paths with this gentleman one day & have long deep conversations, or just hear him talking, i don't mind. If not, then i'll content myself with this wonderful interview.
best doco ive seen in years
Very insightful ....A real catalyst on what he did in F1 and his succeses.. Will go down in History
Being a Ferrari supporter all my life I used to hate Ron. But I have to admit and after listening to this he was a genius. He has my admiration. He always will be McLaren. Irreplaceable.
My favourite quote from Ron was "Cut me and I bleed McLaren"
I respect Ron Dennis as he acknowledged Lewis Hamiltons talent when he couldn't be sponsored
Ron McLaren Dennis, entrepreneur.’Nuf said!
Happy 77th birthday Ron!
Really enjoyed this Ron is one of my top 10 leaders in sports and business
This was every bit as exciting as an F1 race.
Thank goodness most sports are run as businesses now
I never copped it that he had a accident with the Jaguar car he had at a young age and conflicted a large amount of cuts as I only noticed the scars just now. Jeez he is lucky to be alive and tell the tales of his life
Thinking back, Ron was right about the exclusive engine deal with Honda. now look how successful Red Bull has been with that engine, this could and should have been McLaren.
Very insightful and inspiring. Thank you.
His a Legend and a great role model 👏
Im still surprised that no other team for example Aston Martin or Williams got Ron Dennid on board. He would be my first call if I were Stroll or Dolton Capital.
Adore Mr Dennis. Amazing thanks a lot
A brilliant overview of your business life Ron. Many congratulations 👏👏👏
Really enjoyed this,. never had the pleasure of meeting the man, but hopefully one day. thank you to the producers of this video.
McLaren without Ron Dennis isn't McLaren
Brad Pitt. This is the movie you should have made
A humble man...
Bruce Maclaren founder, Ron Dennis built it......🇬🇧
his name is actually Ron Winning Dennis Machine!
Great video. Did a tour 20 years ago of the McLaren Headquarters in Woking after a lunch with Jack Brabham. This video gives great context to that memory.
McLaren as a business has never been the same ever again…it is such a shame ❤
What a top man
So what do we think? I admire his own perspective; I don't agree with everything but I do believe he was a visionary for F1. John Barnard is a proper bloke and an absolute geezer ❤
What a fantastic insight into one of the greatest names in formula one
Another one of those interesting persons in F1 . It's the communication of the individuals that got me interested in it . Good presentation of Ron here . I went and looked up the McLaren HQ ....Nice !!!
Along with Chapman , Enzo , Stewart and Williams , Dennis was devoted to the sport, always 100% focused on detail and performance. Difficult to work for? Quite probably, as are most perfectionists but that does not mean there are not decent folk. I think, had he lived , Graham Hill would have madeba great success as a team boss.
Very insightful interview. I realise I never understood Ron Dennis. I believe Harry Ferguson tossed a coin when selling his company to Massey Harris in the 1950’s. Heads was 17million dollars tails was 16 million! So he lost a million dollars on the coin toss but concluded the deal!
Fantastic interview. What a legend. Would love to meet Ron.
Senna, Prost and Dennis = McLaren ❤
Great insight into the man’s thinking. I found the recollection of working with Hercules and carbon fibre fascinating.
Never knew about the Graham Hill angle
What a incredible interview 👌👌👌👌👌👌👌
100% grit, 100% legend.
F1 legend
Really miss him in F1.
Great story. Impressive
Haha! At 1:19:00 Ron mentions the NZ Americas Cup team came and asked McLaren to explain composites to them...they went away, they didn't have any money! Pretty much sums up any outfit from NZ. But probably also summed up Bruce McLaren several decades earlier. Lots of ideas and effort but no money, at least to start with. I found that quite interesting. Not sure Ron saw the irony.
I did some design work for a Woking company which had an accountant who had also been employed by McLaren during the Kimi Raikkonen days.
Apparently, the fun-loving Kimi had dropped his trousers at some London club and of which a stolen photo appeared in a daily rag.
Both Kimi and his manager were hauled in front of a furious Ron whose office was well down the corridor of the accountant who said that it might as well have been right next door judging by the volume of Ron's screaming.
Great insights. Thx. I’ve followed F1 since the 80s and didn’t know many of the things Ron spoke about.
BUT - given it was so long, I found the background music a real annoyance. In fact almost disrespectful to Ron as it’s not needed. His words alone are what it’s all about. Please consider to edit. At least dial down the volume. Blimey I’m towards then end @1.36 the volume is just ridiculous! And so distracting. It really cheapens it.
Hi - thank you for your feedback! Greatly appreciate it🧡
Perfectionist
We would not know the name Lewis Hamilton had it not been for Ron Dennis. Would love to hear him discuss meeting him
Great video! Drop the background music though.
Will the book be written soon?
I think you will find that is Gordon Murray
An awesome individual.
Rons....pit bull face.....what a legend.....
What an incredible man. I still drive past McLaren living in Weybridge, and I think Ron Dennis.
Great interview but I'd drop the dystopian soundtrack if it was me.
How Mclaren paid that 100 million dollar fine was amazing.
Great chap! And another thing: ”The noise, the smell!” Soon that will be all but a memory in a dream😢
Amazingly insightful interview. Thank you for posting, Ron Dennis is as great an F1 figure as Lauda or Enzo or Brabham himself.
When was this made? Thx
2017
There will be a statue of him one day in the boulevard, i just hope he will be there to accept it, and they dont wait to long
One Word.....Goat ..!!
Not bad. Thanks.
No question that Mr Dennis is a titanic profile in F1 history up there with Cooper, Ferrari and Chapman plus very few others. The acquisition of McLaren's control is a masterpiece as it is the decision to hire John Barnard. It is the closing remark "I am a very principled person" which leaves the audience puzzled if someone remembers the Ferrari gate and the ensuing lying to the FIA which started his downfall . An unpleasant blot on his copybook otherwise perfect.
Ron IS McLaren. McLaren is a shadow of itself without him. You only need to visit MTC and see the mismatched floor tiles and other such lack of attention to detail. Ron would never have settled for such things, McLaren was all about high technology and attention to detail.
Being a long time McLaren fan I've got as much respect for Ron as anyone however the reality was that when he left the organisation the team had the worst engine, one of the worst chassis, it had fallen well behind in facilities, had a poor book of sponsors and wasn't addressing its shortcomings in management structure. The tiles at the MTC may have all been uniform however they were 9th in the constructors.
@@calumscott8737 Actually, they finished 6th in the constructors in 2016 -- you're thinking of the next year when Zak Brown took over and tanked the entire organization and they dropped to 9th. In 2016 under Ron, the team had a solid chassis, and were regularly running 5th/6th (even with the Honda lawn mower engines, which would usually expire during a race). They also had one of the strongest driver lineups in F1 history, and had built an impressive list of new personnel (most who quit when Ron was booted). Other than Mercedes in 2016, no other team was doing well, either (c'mon, second place Red Bull finished 268 points behind Mercedes!). McLaren under Ron never had many sponsors, and this was clearly intentional as it kept the car space clean and easy to read the sponsors, and also attracted high-end sponsors. Few sponsors, but they were all valuable deals. It took years for Zak Brown to cover every square inch of the cars with sponsors (most of which no one has ever heard of, if they can even read through that mess); but I bet 50% or more of those sponsors combined aren't worth as much as one sponsorship deal under Ron.
@@Arctic_Falcon You’ll recall that under Ron’s watch McLaren finished 9th in 2015, 6th in 2016 and in the shadow of Ron’s legacy 9th again in 2017. Why was that? 2 reasons - the drop back from 6th to 9th was when Honda dropped the 2016 engine concept (no more development potential) and went with a new Mercedes inspired design - so, a new experimental Honda engine. Second reason, McLaren hadn’t yet realised just how bad its chassis was - that’s why they hadn’t been winning in the pre-Honda (Mercedes) days from 2013/2014.
Ron’s McLaren team principal Eric Boullier was completely ineffective at reversing any of the issues McLaren were facing and it wasn’t a surprise to see him being ejected not long after Zak took over.
What if Ron hadn’t left?
With his insistence on not changing his 80’s management style it’s likely McLarens F1 team would have continued in its death spiral with no significant sponsors (plus side plenty of clean space on the car 😂), terrible on track results and unable to attract top talent like Andreas Seidel or Peter Prodromu. With the F1 team becoming a liability Ron would have exited McLaren from F1 and focussed on turning the McLaren brand into a technology company - but you’ll know that already as Ron’s openly talked about those plans.
Under Zaks Management
Death spiral has been reversed
Constant podiums and winning multiple races
Top constructors scorers in the last 8 races, momentum suggests FIRST CONSTRUCTORS TITLE THIS CENTURY later this year
Best driver line up on the grid
Best aero, engineering and manufacturing capacity on the grid
Attracting top talent like Peter Prodromou, Rob Marshall etc
Huge book of sponsors including high value blue chips like Mastercard and Alphabet
Profitable!
Let me know if there’s anything else you’re needing cleared up.
@@Arctic_Falcon
Zandvoort 2024
Zak Brown:
McLaren win again
McLaren outscoring Red Bull again (8 times out of 9)
McLaren upgrades hitting the mark and adding performance
Both championships tightening
Examples of ZB doing a terrible job 🤣🤣🤣
Hope he one days pens an Autobiography.
it is in progress