"If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by." Sun Tzu, The Art of War.
At 68, 36 years into his tenure as McLaren's main man, Ron Dennis knows all about patience. Right now he's waiting, with the conviction and elongated perspective of a boss who has seen it all, for his team's return to winning form.
Ron Dennis also knows all about adversaries. Several have crossed his path over the decades. One or two have sought to wound the organisation he represents with such fierce pride. He has seen them float by. This sense of longevity, of permanence, is one of the most compelling aspects of the Dennis character; he seems as integral to McLaren as McLaren does to the championship in which it has competed with dauntless competitive spirit for the past 50 years.