“Managing the co-habitation of two world champions is often a challenge,” argued Dennis in a recent interview with F1i magazine. “I have tried it a few times. Martin is perhaps showing himself to be better than me at that role.”
Dennis probably refers to the 2007 Formula One season, when he had to face plenty of challenges (maybe the most in his career) while trying to give both Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton equal chances for the world title. Apart from the famous spy-gate, Dennis also had to manage the relationship with Alonso, which eventually ended after only one season.
Similarly, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost gave the Brit plenty of headaches when the pair was driving for McLaren some couple of decades ago, the rivalry between the two being one of the best known in the history of the sport. However, they lasted two seasons together under Dennis' guidance.
Although leaving his position within the McLaren Mercedes F1 Team, Dennis continues to hold significant shares in the British company, as he is also the executive chairman of the McLaren Group. As for Whitmarsh, not only he did a great job in 2010 as a team principal, but he also coordinated the activity of the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA).
He is likely to retain the presidency of the teams' alliance for 2011 also.
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