Post by fizzycola on Jan 19, 2009 21:30:16 GMT
from the dailymail.com
Shocked Hamilton knew only minutes before that mentor Ron Dennis was quitting McLaren
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton had no warning that his mentor, Ron Dennis, was planning to relinquish his role as team principal at McLaren after 27 years.
'I only heard Ron was standing down a couple of minutes before he announced his decision,' said 24-year-old Hamilton.
The fact that Dennis did not apparently feel the need to tell Hamilton of his decision before his announcement on Friday is a reflection of the widely held belief that the relationship between the men has not been the same since the summer of 2007.
Then, the young British driver - groomed by Dennis to be world champion from the age of 12 - felt aggrieved at the handling of his bitter duel with then team-mate Fernando Alonso.
And Hamilton does not believe that Dennis's move into the background of the team will have a detrimental impact on his ambition to retain his world title this year.
He is comfortable with the elevation of Martin Whitmarsh into the primary role when the 2009 championship begins in Melbourne at the end of March, and is looking forward to opening a fresh chapter when he tests his new car for the first time in Portugal on Wednesday.
fizzy
Shocked Hamilton knew only minutes before that mentor Ron Dennis was quitting McLaren
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton had no warning that his mentor, Ron Dennis, was planning to relinquish his role as team principal at McLaren after 27 years.
'I only heard Ron was standing down a couple of minutes before he announced his decision,' said 24-year-old Hamilton.
The fact that Dennis did not apparently feel the need to tell Hamilton of his decision before his announcement on Friday is a reflection of the widely held belief that the relationship between the men has not been the same since the summer of 2007.
Then, the young British driver - groomed by Dennis to be world champion from the age of 12 - felt aggrieved at the handling of his bitter duel with then team-mate Fernando Alonso.
And Hamilton does not believe that Dennis's move into the background of the team will have a detrimental impact on his ambition to retain his world title this year.
He is comfortable with the elevation of Martin Whitmarsh into the primary role when the 2009 championship begins in Melbourne at the end of March, and is looking forward to opening a fresh chapter when he tests his new car for the first time in Portugal on Wednesday.
fizzy
