McLaren Automotive did hold talks with Apple, Woking Chief Executive admits.

One story that genuinely did - to use the Daily Mail's favourite line - get sections of the internet into a frenzy, was the claim in late September that technology giant Apple was eyeing a £1.5bn buy-out of the McLaren Technology Group.

It was claimed that talks had been ongoing for months as Apple sought a way in to the automotive market.

"We can confirm that McLaren is not in discussion with Apple in respect of any potential investment," a spokesperson told Pitpass at the time. "As you would expect, the nature of our brand means we regularly have confidential conversations with a wide range of parties, but we keep them confidential."

As it happens, there was no bid, but according to McLaren Automotive Chief Executive, Mike Flewitt, there were talks.

"There wasn't a bid from Apple," Flewitt told Reuters. "They visited. We talked.

"We talked about what they did. We talked about what we did. They toured. It never matured to a definitive proposition."

At the end of a historic week which saw Ron Dennis' 36-year association with the McLaren Technology Group, which owns the F1 team, come to an end, Flewitt insists that majority owners, Mansour Ojjeh and Bahraini investment fund Mumtalakat are not looking to sell the company.

"There have been a number of bids," he said. "I am comfortable with where our current shareholders are that they want to retain ownership of the company. They want to develop both companies.

"I genuinely believe they are very committed to them," he concluded.

It was Dennis' failed attempt, in league with a Chinese consortium, to buy the company that brought matters at Woking to a head.

As the Briton sought to gain control of the company, and having failed to gain an injunction to prevent him being put on gardening leave as he looked for alternatives, a board meeting on Tuesday saw the iconic team boss stand down as Chief Executive Officer of McLaren Technology Group, though he remains a shareholder and a director of McLaren Technology Group.