Hungary Relief: Interview with Ron Dennis

McLaren Group's CEO Ron Dennis seemed unusually emotional in the immediate aftermath of the Hungarian Grand Prix. At times his voice was a little croaky, and it was clear that Kimi Raikkonen's victory had meant a lot to him. Although there have been other good wins this year, this one came after a string of frustrations for Raikkonen, namely the grid penalties in France and Britain that inevitably put the top step of the podium out of his reach, and the crushing retirement while leading in Germany.

In addition, this was the last weekend for West after eight and a half years as title sponsor, but most poignantly of all the victory came a few days after the death of a McLaren team member in a tragic incident at a Budapest hotel. Some of the motorhome staff were holding a crate bearing the message "Darren, this one's for you", and if he hadn't been aware of it earlier, Dennis certainly would have seen it from the podium. The paternal Dennis is known for his loyalty to his staff, and the loss of someone in his crew would have affected him deeply.