Autosport
By Jonathan Noble Monday, December 7th 2009, 14:12 GMT
Ron Dennis, Autosport AwardsMcLaren boss Ron Dennis has no doubts his company is doing the right thing in pursuing its road car ambitions - even though that decision proved a catalyst for Mercedes-Benz to switch its focus to Brawn.
Dennis is heading up McLaren's plans to build a range of sportscars over the next few years - with the MP4-12C due to be the first of the new range.
And although the expansion of the road car business has been singled out as a key reason why Mercedes-Benz chose to end its exclusive deal with McLaren and instead takeover Brawn, Dennis is adamant the move is to the ultimate benefit of his Woking-based company.
"It is really a development of the brand," said Dennis as he collected a lifetime achievement award at the AUTOSPORT Awards.
"We have had some great partners - and I have to mention Mercedes-Benz. They have been phenomenally strong partners of us, and there was a time when we had to think hard and long about what was the right thing for McLaren.
"When I look at the achievements of Ferrari and what we intend for McLaren, it is absolutely categorically the right thing for us to plough our own furrow. It is a win-win situation for everyone.
"I am delighted for Brawn and the Mercedes GP team of the future, and at the end of the day, we were extremely supportive of solving the problems with Brawn.
"It is the way we have always been in F1. We take decisions for the benefit of F1, most of the time, if not all the time. I have had ups and downs in my career and I accept that being the boss you have to take the responsibility sometimes for things that are not always in your own mind your responsibility. But nevertheless that is part of being a boss and that is what I have had to do."
Dennis has also dismissed any talk of him returning to a role within McLaren's F1 teams.
"No. No. No," he said when asked about the possibility of coming back to F1. "My role in active F1 is definitely over.
"I will go to some grands prix because I love it. My brain is in McLaren but my heart is in motor racing, so I will definitely be at some grands prix. But it will not be on the pit wall and not as anything other than a spectator.
"At the end of the day I live and breath for McLaren and that is never going to change."
