17/03/2009
NEWS STORY
Tyler Alexander, a McLaren stalwart and one of the few remaining members of the Woking team to have worked alongside its original founder Bruce McLaren, will retire this month after a career spanning five decades at the sport's very pinnacle.
As a young US mechanic with a passion for motorsport, Tyler joined Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd in 1963. He rose from mechanic status to become one of Bruce's most trusted lieutenants and, later, one of the burgeoning team's principal figures.
As the team expanded, Tyler found his talents blossoming on his native side of the pond, helming McLaren's CanAm and USAC racing activities in North America before helping establish the foundations for Ron Dennis's McLaren International operation in the 1980s.
Professional, hard-working and irascible, yet possessing a canny ability to view Formula 1's machinations with a raised eyebrow and quizzical smile, he remains eternally modest about his considerable achievements.
"While McLaren represents the cutting-edge of modernity, we also have huge pride and respect for our roots," said Ron Dennis. "Very few people embody the blend of both those worlds as well as Tyler, who began working with Bruce McLaren at the very beginning of our company's journey.
"That he has retained an important role on our race team until his leaving speaks volumes for both his passion for the sport and his vast experience, adaptability and intelligence.
"His is a legacy that has spanned every decade of this team's involvement in Formula 1 and one that we will continue to cherish while missing his day-to-day involvement with the team.
"Everyone within the McLaren Group and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes wishes Tyler a restful and creative time in the future."