He may no longer be part of the Formula One operation, but Ron Dennis is still keen to see the McLaren Mercedes team perform competitively this season after a challenging start. With both cars in the top five at the Chinese Grand Prix and a fourth place for Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain, the pace of the silver arrows appears to be improving race-by-race.
"Lewis has always been a great driver and always will be a great driver, but needs the great equipment with which to win races," said Dennis, who is now focusing his attention on the company's road car efforts. "All the engineers, designers, manufacturing staff and management of the company are very much focussed on that."
Part of the team since 1980, Dennis is now watching F1 from a different angle whilst developing the new McLaren Automotive side of the group. "I've watched from a distance," he continued to explain to Setanta. "They've significantly closed the gap and had a very competitive fourth place. I sort of hear most of it second hand because I am really focussed now on the automotive programme, but McLaren never stays behind for too long and we'll be competitive before the end of the season, I hope sooner rather than later."
Lacking a double diffuser until China and now 37 points behind constructors´ leader Brawn GP, have the Woking-based team's chances for the title already disappeared for 2009? "Until it's mathematically impossible it's always possible, but of course we're a bit behind," Ron admitted. "But stranger things have happened; if we start getting into a winning streak, and I'm sure that's what all the people at McLaren are working hard to achieve, then who knows."
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