By Jonathan Noble Tuesday, March 17th 2009, 10:28 GMT
Ron Dennis, Tyler Alexander at the 2000 Canadian GPMcLaren stalwart Tyler Alexander is to retire from the team later this month.
The American originally joined McLaren as a mechanic, working alongside founder Bruce McLaren in 1963. He worked on McLaren's CanAm and USAC racing activities in the United States before returning to Europe to help McLaren's expanding F1 operations.
He left the team in 1982 to help work on IndyCar efforts with former McLaren team principal Teddy Mayer, before the pair briefly switched their focus to the Beatrice F1 team.
When that ended, Alexander spent some time running BMW's IMSA operations before he was recalled to McLaren to head up special projects.
Ron Dennis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the McLaren Group, said: "While McLaren represents the cutting-edge of modernity, we also have huge pride and respect for our roots. Very few people embody the blend of both those worlds as well as Tyler Alexander, who began working with Bruce McLaren at the very beginning of our company's journey.
"That he has retained an important role on our race team until his leaving speaks volumes for both his passion for the sport and his vast experience, adaptability and intelligence.
"His is a legacy that has spanned every decade of this team's involvement in Formula 1 and one that we will continue to cherish while missing his day-to-day involvement with the team.
"Everyone within the McLaren Group and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes wishes Tyler a restful and creative time in the future."
