McLaren to leave F1?

[Quiggs]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Motors...?oneclick=true

McLaren threatens F1 pull-out
By Alan Henry
February 20, 2005

Mclaren could pull out of formula one in 2008 if the regime under Bernie Ecclestone does not ensure the teams get a bigger share of the commercial rights purse and more transparency in the sport's business dealings.

McLaren's chairman Ron Dennis made it clear that it had an ongoing commitment to the motor racing business and would consider competing in other categories unless formula one changed.

"We want to be in a position whereby we do not have to take part in formula one from 2008," he said. "We want to have the choice to take McLaren out of formula one."

Dennis' bold assertion will intensify pressure on Ecclestone, the formula one commercial rights holder, to come to the negotiating table with the other nine teams. Ferrari has already signed its own deal with Ecclestone guaranteeing a one-off $100 million ($126 million) signing fee to agree to stay loyal to the official FIA championship to 2012.

The McLaren position signals a hardening of attitudes towards Ecclestone and the tacit approval to his Ferrari deal that was signalled last week by the FIA president Max Mosley. Up to now it had been assumed Ferrari's influence within the sport would guarantee victory in this political battle to whoever gained its support.

That assumption now seems less certain. At a meeting at Cliveden, England, on Wednesday, the other nine teams were highly impressed by a presentation given by an agency commissioned on behalf of GPWC, the federation of car makers, proposing a separate new world championship from the start of 2008.

Dennis described the presentation on behalf of BMW, Daimler Chrysler, Renault, Toyota and Honda as "most credible" but the McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh went further: "Any rational person would have had to find overwhelmingly in favour of their standpoint," he said after it became clear the car makers were proposing the teams share up to 80 per cent of the US$800 million ($1.01 billion) annual commercial rights income rather than the 50 per cent proposed by Ecclestone.

Meanwhile, Austrian Christian Klien has joined David Coulthard in the Red Bull formula one team.

Maybe F1 will collapse on itself and they'll rebuild something that isn't a parade.

[UCR]

Bernie, learn your lesson lad.

[s-d]

Bernie out of F1!!

[henk4]

Would the world not be better of without Ron Dennis? The name McLaren can then be bought by any Russian tycoon.

[Coventrysucks]

I don't know why McLaren don't participate in more formulas.

With F1 going rapidly down the pan, and Mercedes unlikely to use them for building more cars; the composites, electronics and posh catering won't keep Ron on a salary to which he is accustomed.

Its all posturing though - the teams behind the GPWC, which - lets face it - comprise the majority, aren't going to say anything complimentary about Bernie untill it becomes painfully obvious that it will go one way or the other.

[Plutus]

Originally Posted by henk4

Would the world not be better of without Ron Dennis?.

Well said Henk!

He is a whinging little scrote with a whinging little team. Montoya will fit in there pretty well with all the excuses he makes after failing to finish races:

"Oh, the track was too hard!" ... "Oh, the wheels were too round!" ... "Oh, everyone else had a faster car than me!" ... "Mum, Ferrari are cheating by having a well oiled machine for a team and learning from their mistakes, rather than blaming them on other people!" etc. etc.

[NAZCA C2]

I hope they pull out of F1. F1 sucks now. Mclaren is my favorite team, I'd like to see them go back to sportscar racing.

[forza_autodelta]

what's the problem? Principals F1 teams say they will leave F1 for a long time ...although they earn less monney than some years ago , they will continue F1 since it's their principal activity and the takings are enormous .Or maybe they will begin a return to Lemans ...but I think this new plan is too expensive for Mac Laren

[Homem de Gelo]

Goes to show the sad state of F1.

[Spastik_Roach]

F1 sucks. Mclaren lets see you race like you used to, in the good ol days.