When the Spanish newspaper, Marca, printed their story that Ron Dennis was about to be fired, we all had a good laugh at how desperate the press can get when short of a good story. It was fun to point out the obvious fact that Ron cannot be fired since he still owns McLaren, even though most of the shares are in names other than his own. Then The Sunday Times ruined the fun with its article suggesting that Ron would be stepping down officially at some time this week.
Talk about a party pooper. The Sunday Times is a big enough name not to be dismissed as a sensationalist rag and so we had to sit down and assess the possibilities that Ron might really be about to go this time. Whether we're for or against him, Ron's departure would leave a pretty big hole in F1, one that it's unlikely Martin Whitmarsh would fill without many years of trying.
The personalities of the sport create its image to a large extent. If Max and Bernie were to go tomorrow, for instance, F1 would look very different on Wednesday, regardless of who replaced them. No-one is indispensible, it's true, but the big characters create niches that are impossible to replicate on their departure. Who could fill the boots of Paul Stoddart, for example, or entertain us so magnificently as Flavio Briatore in full flow?
Love him or loathe him, Ron Dennis is one of these; we should think carefully before celebrating his departure. He made McLaren what it is today and it will become something else after he leaves, whenever that is. Those who can remember the team as it was when run by Teddy Mayer will know how great a change Ron made when he took over. If it is to be Whitmarsh's team, it will change again.
There will be those who will be glad to see the back of Big Ron, even so. Doctor Vee considers that he is so tainted with the poison of the Ferrari documents affair that he is nothing but a liability to McLaren and Mercedes now. I am not so sure.
There are many, including myself, who have had their opinion of the man raised, rather than lowered, through the whole sordid business. Call us gullible if you wish, but we still believe that Ron has been honest to the extent of his knowledge in dealing with the issues that arose. And apart from that, his restraint and dignity in answering his critics has been commendable - witness the swift climbdown of the Italian police after being challenged on their statement regarding the recent raids on McLaren properties.
Ron is no lame duck; he is the creator and leader of one of the most effective and efficient F1 teams in the game and he will go when he decides, not when the mud-slinging reaches a crescendo. I find it amusing that the sister paper to The Sunday Times, The Times itself, took the bite out of the whole story with its Friday article entitled Defiant Ron Dennis determined to fight on.
There are some signs that Ron has been moving towards a less prominent role in the company, that is true. But it is quite likely that this was planned long before the Stepneygate thing erupted; Ron has made no secret of the fact that Whitmarsh was being groomed as his successor, after all. And, perhaps with more irony than his detractors can see, the disasters of 2007 may well have been instrumental in persuading Ron to delay any decision regarding retirement until he has seen the company through to calmer waters.
The man is a fighter, you have to give him that.