Ron Dennis reveals that he ousted Pérez in favor of Magnussen
Four months before Martin Whitmarsh's brutal downfall, Ron Dennis had already made a decision worthy of a team leader: the eviction of Sergio Pérez in favor of Kevin Magnussen. The Mexican almost left Formula 1 following this episode.
McLaren’s boss never really left the management of McLaren. Even though he handed over the position of director to Martin Whitmarsh in 2009, Ron Dennis always kept an eye on the team’s affairs. Four months before replacing Whitmarsh to restore order after a disastrous 2013 season, Ron Dennis had already bypassed his successor by deciding to place Kevin Magnussen in the second seat of the team.
“The decision to take Kevin was mine,” he confided to the official Formula 1 website before rephrasing: “It was only possible to take Kevin because I had decided so, to be exact.” For him, it was time to see what the Dane was truly worth. “I decided this because I felt we needed to see if he could meet our engineers’ expectations, and since then, he has confirmed his abilities.” By finishing on the podium for his first race in Australia and scoring points in Malaysia, Kevin Magnussen made more than remarkable debuts.
A disenchantment with Latin drivers, except Senna
A number of rumors suggest that Martin Whitmarsh wanted to keep Sergio Pérez, but this has never been confirmed. One fact remains: Ron Dennis has always had difficulties with Latin drivers, except for Ayrton Senna, with whom a father-son-like relationship was almost created. Juan-Pablo Montoya in 2005 and 2006, and then Fernando Alonso in 2007, incurred the wrath of McLaren’s big boss long before Sergio Pérez. Their stints with the team were, moreover, brief.
Sergio Pérez’s stint was not much longer. Less than a year after signing with McLaren, he saw the exit door close behind him. The Mexican almost left Formula 1: “When the decision by McLaren came, I really felt frustrated by the turn of events,” Sergio Pérez says. “I told myself it wasn’t for me. I didn’t want to just be present in this sport. I wanted to find what motivated me to stay in F1, otherwise I already had other options in mind.”
Pérez’s Revenge?
The reputation of the Mexican has taken a significant hit. Being fired in such a manner by a team like McLaren after less than a year is never a good sign for a driver. Heikki Kovalainen, ousted after two years of comparisons with Lewis Hamilton in 2008 and 2009, can attest to that. But Pérez is fortunate to have the backing of Mexican dollars from Carlos Slim; a significant advantage during negotiations with a team. Then came a unique opportunity with Force India, and we reached an agreement.
He has just signed his first podium for the Indian team, in Bahrain, last weekend. “I think there are more to come,” he judges. There is no doubt that he must have taken great pleasure in finishing ahead of the McLarens… And that he is already preparing to repeat this action in the future, to firmly establish his comeback.
