Ron Dennis has quit as chief executive of McLaren, handing over to team principal Martin Whitmarsh, the Formula One team said Thursday.

Dennis is to focus on the automotive side of the company, with the aim of launching a new McLaren sports car in 2011.

The 61-year-old, who has been involved with Formula One for 43 years, took over as McLaren Racing boss in 1981, but handed that responsibility to Whitmarsh earlier this year.

Although Dennis attended the season-opening Australian Grand Prix last month, he then chose not to attend the subsequent race in Malaysia, the first time he had not been present for many years.

McLaren, home to world champion Lewis Hamilton, were recently embroiled in a damaging controversy after being accused of giving false information to race stewards about Hamilton's tactics in the Melbourne Grand Prix, which resulted in a penalty for Toyota's Jarno Trulli.

"I passed the role of team principal to Martin on January 16, the day of the launch of our new Formula One car," Dennis said.

"That day I was asked many times whether I would attend the 2009 Australian Grand Prix. My answer was 'yes'.

"I duly attended it, albeit not as the person in charge of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. It was, I admit, a strange feeling.

"The next race, the Malaysian Grand Prix, I watched on TV in the UK, an activity I found surprisingly easy.

"I'd expected to be more emotional about it, after an unbroken run of attending so many grands prix for so many years."

Dennis has endured a stormy relationship with Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and FIA president Max Mosley and admitted he didn't go out of his way to cultivate good relations with the sport's bosses.

"I admit I'm not always easy to get on with. I admit I've always fought hard for McLaren in Formula One," he said.

"I doubt if Max Mosley or Bernie Ecclestone will be displeased by my decision. But no-one asked me to do it. It was my decision.

"Equally, I was the architect of this restructure of the McLaren Group. Again, no-one asked me to do it. It was my decision.

"I feel enormously enthused about the prospects for the McLaren Group and for McLaren Automotive, and have no qualms about leaving Martin to report to the board regarding matters connected with Formula One."

Dennis first became involved in F1 aged 18, working alongside driver Jochen Rindt at the Cooper Formula One team before a three-year spell with Brabham.

In 1981 he assuemd full control of McLaren, building it up into the company it has become today.

Although the global credit crisis has had a major impact on the car industry, Dennis is determined to plough ahead with his plans for a revolutionary new sports car.

McLaren Automotive is intending to raise fresh equity, in addition to the existing investment in the business, to complete the development of the planned vehicle programmes.

Dennis added: "With planned additional investment in the company of 250 million pounds, proposals in place for a new McLaren car production facility in the UK, and the potential for up to 800 skilled jobs, McLaren Automotive's expansion will represent a significant investment in the UK automotive industry."

On June 1, Richard Lapthorne, currently chairman of Cable and Wireless, will be appointed non-executive chairman of the McLaren Group, and a non-executive director of McLaren Automotive.

AFP

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