Dennis to Step Down?

Despite securing the first drivers' title in the last 9 years for McLaren Mercedes, Ron Dennis seems closer and closer to leaving his position as team principal for the Woking-based team. The Mercedes works team is yet to win a constructors crown in the last 10 years and that seems to be the main reason why the German manufacturer wants to change a few things in terms of McLaren's management.

Dennis was previously rumored to consider stepping down from his job at the end of last year, following FIA's sentence on the McLaren-Ferrari spy scandal. As a result of the spy-gate, McLaren were docked all points from the overall classification. Not only that, but both Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso (then driving for McLaren) missed out on the drivers' title in the last race of the season.

When asked about his future intentions inside Formula 1, Dennis insisted that “I love formula one. I've not given any thought to anything other than winning a world championship. We will first take everything out of this success and enjoy it,” Associated Press quoted him as saying.

With McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh becoming more and more vocal inside the F1 paddock over the past year, it's becoming more than likely that he will be the man replacing Dennis as team's principal for the upcoming year. However, Mercedes are yet to make an official decision on the matter.

McLaren were in contention for a world title coming at Interlagos, as only 11 points were separating them from rivals Ferrari in the constructors' standings. Nevertheless, with Felipe Massa winning the race and Kimi Raikkonen ending it on the overall podium, the British-German outfit finished the season 21 points adrift in the standings.