Ron Dennis Q&A

"I think there is a possibility of that. First of all, I don't think [this decision] is as unreasonable as you may initially think. In different circumstances Niki [Lauda] had time away from grand prix racing and came back and won the world championship. Alain Prost did too.

"As Mika says in the release, he has been behind the wheel of something since a young child, and modern F1 is a very intense affair. It sees drivers working hard in the car, testing and in respect of promotional obligations. Blend in with that the inevitable ebb and flow of motivation that is in all of us. When he started to talk to us about this in Monaco - this has not come about overnight - he asked the question pretty outright 'is this a possibility?' Initially I thought it was a bit unusual, but it's a real alternative to a more dramatic statement of retirement. He loves driving a car, he still loves racing, he just wants a break."



"All of the drivers referred to in that release have contracts for several years. Not all exactly the same of course, but it is definitely appropriate to use expression 'years' - for all of them, including Mika Hakkinen."



"To correct a few things, the only settlement between the two teams is financial. There is no other involvement at all. I've seen things that are totally speculative and a long way from the mark. There is obviously a figure. Clearly, it is an acceptable figure otherwise it would not have been agreed. But as you point out, it would be inappropriate to share it with you."



"I think the fact that we have secured his services answers the question! But it is very appropriate to point out that this isn't a decision taken either by myself, or my colleagues at McLaren. It was taken by myself and [Mercedes boss] Norbert Haug initially. Of course prior to that we looked at all the options, and then we shared our decision with all the people who have to be supportive of that - there is no point going forward if any key members of the organisation are against the decision. That was the job of Norbert and I to explain and put forward those views to the members of the Daimler Chrysler board and in my case to Martin and Adrian. It was an absolutely unanimous decision in respect of what direction we should go in.

"It has makes a tremendous amount of sense to keep Alexander [Wurz] in the team. It is inevitable that he feels disappointment, but we desperately need a fully mature, experienced driver who has extensive knowledge of what is required to develop a racing team. As I said to him, our goal is to be a better racing team and we took the decision on the basis of what we felt was the way to move forward in all respects. We sat down months ago to discuss what it takes to become a better racing organisation at the very top of motorsport. We don't feel failures - far from it, we've won races - but if you want to be better, you have to change. This process of driver selection - seeking the support of Alexander, the understanding of David, going in a youthful direction - all of this is part of a much bigger picture. The drivers are an integral and important part of that."



"Yes. They are his designated representatives and that's who we have worked with. They have been very correct. Of course, they are still relatively new to F1. Understandably they were a little surprised at the straightforward nature of the negotiations. We are not a complicated team. We state very clearly what our objectives are and they have been very professional in their response to how we wanted to go forward. It should be stressed that we made it abundantly clear to Kimi when we offered the deal that it could only be taken with the co-operation of Peter Sauber. We would not make any hostile approach."



"Well Kimi was contracted, so therefore you can assume anyone in the pitlane. We didn't see a contracted relationship as being a necessary block, providing we could find a way forward without a hostile approach. Inevitably you are going to say 'well, what about Michael?' But you don't have to be Einstein to understand why we didn't feel that was a particularly appropriate direction to consider. We are many things, but not Fort Knox!"



"We are at the very beginning of a relationship with Kimi. We have demonstrated our long-term commitment to drivers - that is not going to change. It would be totally premature to talk about what if this and what if that. It is inevitable that we have considered all those things. As has already been pointed out, Mika might find life on the beach very attractive. At the same time he understands he can't just vegetate. He has got to be committed to returning to GP racing and at the time when we have to take the decision, we'll do what we think is appropriate. We will find a positive solution."



"Mika is contracted to this team for years, as are the other drivers, so not without us agreeing. Saying no would not be appropriate, but it is not part of the plans."



"I think it's a question of the environment in which you place young drivers and the guidance they receive. I hope our environment and the guidance we will give will reflect on his career."



"It's not structure into any agreement or ever been discussed. But if offered or desired, I'm sure it would be a welcome contribution. I know Mika feels himself as a father figure to Kimi, no question. But there is nothing formal."



"I don't think hope is a very good word. What we try to do is be decisive about our planning for the future, develop options for the team. That is an option we have developed. We have been very sympathetic to his thoughts and wishes.



"No. There is a 'will he, won't he' scenario. We try to be proficient in structuring the future of the team. This sort of 'will he, won't he' scenario - we have similar ones in our past and in other teams' pasts, and that's provided for within our structure. It is not a simplistic set of agreements. They are complex and they provide the team with total flexibility."



"Absolutely, and it was a critical factor. You don't say to someone like Kimi 'do you want to drive' and he drops everything and says 'absolutely'. He had options and one of them was to stay where he was for a year and then move to another team. The thing that was totally unattractive about that was the thought of being a number two. He is very open about that. It made our path a little easier. We try to provide total equality in the team and perhaps this is one of those times when he paid dividends."