Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan believes McLaren “wish” they could have Ron Dennis back at Woking, with the British side having endured a challenging start to the 2023 F1 season.
Despite sitting fifth in the Constructors’ Championship, 2023 has stated poorly for the Woking-based team, with McLaren arguably having one of the worst cars on the grid.
Dennis left McLaren in 2017 after being suspended as the team’s chairman in 2016, despite having had such an immense impact on the team.
He joined McLaren in 1980 and played a pivotal role in the side’s rise to the top, including Ayrton Senna’s and Lewis Hamilton’s titles at the outfit.
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Hamilton’s 2008 title is actually McLaren’s last to-date, with the side having failed to replicate Dennis’ success since he departed.
Ex-McLaren driver David Coulthard knew Dennis very well due to the time he spent racing for the side, with the Scotsman believing that Dennis was “incredibly caring” despite having faced heavy criticism at times.
“Ron Dennis was, I think, misunderstood to the outside world,” Coulthard said on the Formula For Success podcast.
“Because he was an incredibly caring individual to the team and took care of his team personnel if they had medical issues or their family had issues.
“He took care of them quietly, but in a great way because he understood the importance of the team.”
Jordan, who owned the Jordan F1 Team, hailed Dennis as a “perfectionist” despite having been made fun of, with McLaren’s current performances being proof of how much they miss the man.
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“Ron was a perfectionist wasn’t he? He just had everything planned. He wanted the [Ayrton] Sennas, he wanted the [Alain] Prosts,” Jordan said on the podcast.
“To be fair, we all laughed and joked, we took the mickey out of Ron a little bit because of how clinical he is, both in cleanliness and the way he prepares the car and the people, but I bet they wish they had him back.
“Because McLaren now are nowhere near where they were. You can say what you like, Ron Dennis was just fantastically dedicated and committed to his team and [he was] the unsung hero to the staff members and people [who worked there.]”