Could have, Should have, Would have: Dennis on MS

[11tenths]

Interesting piece quoting Dennis on a missed opportunity back in '99:

"We had the opportunity, but we didn't take it," said Dennis in regards to signing Michael Schumacher.

Dennis was later quoted as saying: "The collective decision was that it wasn't the right thing for the company,". In addition he was quoted as saying: "I do believe we could have reached the point where he could have driven for the team,".

Well, then there's that. Group decisions can be a pain in the ass (arse).

Then there's Ron off on: "But when you say to someone 'Do you want to drive for this team?' the individual says yes and at that moment you've got to be committed to the process. Until you can put yourself in that position you don't ask the question. So it was a long discussion, to go away and think about each other's position and then decide if that question was going to be asked." according to Dennis.

Said Dennis on the Schumacher decision:

"And we didn't get to the point of it being a question,".

Well, to all ye of little Senna faith, I point out the following quote from Dennis when it came down to brass tacks:

"What I can recall is that I felt I was a significant contributing factor to paying Ayrton more money than this company could afford,".

Enough said, Ron: Group decisions are overrated. We get it already.

[Peter Mallett]

So as a businessman the guy took a decision. Doesn't look to me like he was agonising over it.

Remember at the time he had the best in the world and Michael was just establishing himself.

Personally I can't find anything to criticise here except you don't identify the source for your post. Please do so.

[Super Tourer]

I think this comes from a feature that was run in this months F1 Racing. As you say Peter done and dusted, I'm sure if Mercedes wanted to renew their link with MS - they could have done. A business/team decision.

[Kicking-back]

There's some quotes from this on autosport.com

It sounds like Ron had no regrets over it.

It refers to talks they had at Monaco in 2000 rather than when Schumacher was starting out. Remember - at that point Schumacher had yet to win a title for Ferrari.

[jj2728]

coulda....shoulda....woulda.....i wonder how ron dennis feels 5 michael schumacher world championships later....

[RWC]

The factors on the negative side of the ledger of hiring shu was maclaren's senna experience where they spent shedloads on the best driver but couldn't afford to have the best car (oh-that's fact by the way,i'm not being opinionated.It was admited to by both senna and mac at different times)

There's no doubt that by '99 shu was absolutally the best and would cost accordingly so it's no real surprise they backed away.After all,their policy of spending heaps on engineering was paying off...and they had an awsome driver in hakkinen

I do hope ron at least made it known that he was chasing shu...so ferrari would have to cough up more to make sure they kept him,LOL
-don't worry-that's just my wicked sense of humour

[gfm]

I bet MS's opinion of where he was in relation to joining McLaren, would be well different. What's the German for ********?

[RT]

I believe the story has been around for a while in one form or another. I also read some place that it was felt that if McLaren won the championship it would be due to Schumacher and not to the car.........(can't remember the original source but it matches the "it wasn't the right thing for the company" story). It would have been fun to see Schumni in a new edition of the Silberpfeile though.....

Cheers

RT

[RWC]

Ah yes i remember that now RT

A good point for mercedes ,though normal sponsers wouldn't care i guess

[freud]

Originally Posted by Super Tourer

I think this comes from a feature that was run in this months F1 Racing. As you say Peter done and dusted, I'm sure if Mercedes wanted to renew their link with MS - they could have done. A business/team decision.

I dont think so..
Ron Dennis, Mercedes and Mclaren could never have offered MS a package as good as Ferrari (remember that good old Marlboro, which sponsors the major chunk of MS salary at Ferrari, had decided to part with Mclaren).

I cant see any reason for this outburst alongwith the threat of quitting f1. Personally, I dont think this sort of trash talk will do Ron and Mclaren any good. I remain a Mclaren fan though would prefer not to hear any more lame excuses for building unreliable cars and engines.

[ASCII Man]

Uhm no, McLaren parted with Marlboro during the negotiations in 1996 because Marlboro demanded proven high profile drivers rather than the then current drivers, Coulthard and Hakkinen...

[Teretonga]

ASWC11 is right.
Then McLaren went to Melbourne and Coulthard won! West had a great introduction to the firm and the losing streak was broken. It rubbed it in to Marlboro quite a bit.
Getting back to the Schumacher link. Five yoears ago McLaren had won two championships with a man who Ron treated like a son. There was no way they would have taken MS on in the same terms he had at Ferrari. Ron and the team had to make a decision on turning the team into MS Racing or keep the team they had. They had just won two WDC's on the trot (1998, 1999) so why take MS on. Coulthard was still quick enough to win races and back up Mika, and there were a few good and much cheaper drivers for the future.
When Ron looks at all this in retrospect he takes it all into account. Had MS joined McLaren it would be a much different team than the one it is now and maybe Ron and his fellow directors prefer it that way.

[Rich R]

plus schumacher would have jumped from a ferrari team on the verge of producing great cars, to a mclaren team just about to go through a slight slump(not that things would have probably turned out the same).

[RWC]

Oh man i remember now!
Marlboro left just as mac had the biggest steamroller year in ages!