The complexity of Dennis' involvement with the company was echoed by 'a highly placed McLaren insider', who told Britain's
Times newspaper that 'Ron can't just be fired'.
"He is not a simple employee," the source continued, "He is a shareholder in the company and enjoys the complete confident support of all our investors, Mansour Ojjeh, Mercedes-Benz and the Bahrain government. He has been under a lot of pressure recently, but he is in fine form and raring to go. There are a lot of exciting projects on the go - and not just on the
Formula One front."
It remains to be seen how the unfolding drama of this week's raids and the ongoing investigations into a matter that many believe should have ended with last season's World Motor Sport Council hearing - which fined McLaren a record $100m and stripped the team of its constructors' points - affect Dennis and his will to remain at the head of
McLaren. Naturally keen to take the team to its first world title since Mika Hakkinen triumphed in 1999, he may decide that enough is enough even as
Lewis Hamilton and
Heikki Kovalainen take the fight to
Ferrari in 2008.
The Italian police last night issued a statement about their ongoing investigation, revealing that they removed several computers from both the McLaren base at Woking and the private premises of key personnel and made copies of files they believe are key to the espionage row. The statement added the information obtained would be added to 'a considerable body of evidence' already gathered against Dennis, Whitmarsh, MD Jonathan Neale, Rob Taylor and disgraced designer Mike Coughlan, who have been placed under investigation.
