20/05/2015
NEWS STORY
Ron Dennis has delivered a 'challenging but inspirational' motivational speech to his team ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Woking outfit has a highly enviable record at the Principality, having won the race fifteen times and taken pole eleven times.
The rekindled partnership with Honda merely adds to the poignancy of this weekend’s event, the previous relationship resulting in wins for Alain Prost and four of Ayrton Senna's five victories (with McLaren) on the tight twisty streets of the legendary venue.
Following its most difficult start to a season in living memory, it is understandable that whilst not expecting to add another win to his team's enviable record, Ron Dennis is looking for a good showing on a track which has played an integral part in his team's history.
Unfortunately, a motivational speech to his troops ahead of the Monaco weekend has been twisted into something else by a section of the (British) media.
The Daily Mail (groan) claims that telling team members to "pull their finger out", as they are "not working hard enough", Dennis turned his attention to Eric Boullier, a source telling the tabloid the Frenchman had had "a good kick in the a***".
Not so, says a McLaren spokesman.
"Ron is a racer, a winner and a leader," the spokesman told Pitpass. "His determination to achieve is legendary and infectious. He is hugely respected by all McLaren staff. His rhetoric can sometimes be challenging, but it is always inspirational.
"Specifically, his remark quoted in the newspaper you mention was intended as a humorous one, and was therefore reported out of context.
"Moreover, Ron massively appreciates the hard work currently being done by all at Woking (UK) and Sakura (Japan), and he and Eric, together, are making the structural and operational changes that will take McLaren-Honda back to the front."