Ron Dennis

Ron Dennis is the Team Principal at the Team McLaren Mercedes Formula One team and Chairman and CEO of the McLaren Group. Born in June 1947, Ron has been in charge of the Woking based squad for more than twenty years when his company at the time, Project Four, merged with Team McLaren Limited to form McLaren International, which is now called McLaren Racing.
Ron’s career is long and successful starting as a mechanic back in 1966 with the Cooper Racing Car Company. He soon moved to the Brabham Racing team where two years later he had worked his way up to become Jack Brabham’s Chief Mechanic. After three years in this role, Ron branched out to form his own company, Rondel Racing.

The team didn’t compete in Formula One in the 70’s but that didn’t mean he wasn’t successful, in fact it was quite the opposite with a string of highly successful teams in the F2 and Procar Championships.

In 1980 he merged his company, then known as Project Four, with Team McLaren, a move that turned out to be the catalyst for the success and diversification that McLaren has enjoyed to date. While under his leadership, McLaren have secured a total of seven Constructors' World Championships and has nine drivers crowns.

But, it isn’t all about Formula One as it may seem as back in 1989 Ron co-founded McLaren Cars, which designed and manufactured the revolutionary F1 road car and the compnay is currently producing together with DaimlerChrysler the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren super sports car.

The McLaren Group has continued to grow and diversify and currently encompasses the McLaren Automotive Division (comprising McLaren Cars and McLaren Composites), McLaren Electronic Systems, McLaren Marketing, Absolute Taste and Lydden Circuit, all in addition to the flagship, McLaren Racing's Team McLaren Mercedes Formula One team.

To top off his successful career, back in 2000 Ron Dennis was honoured with a CBE for services to Motorsport and the following year he was presented with a BRDC Gold Medal in recognition for his contribution to Motorsport.

Ron was also awarded with an Hon DTech from De Montford University in 1996, an Hon DSc from City University, London, in 1997 and, in 2000, an Honorary Degree of Doctor of the University of Surrey.