New McLaren executive director Zak Brown reportedly has credited the sportscar maker Formula One team's ousted veteran head Ron Dennis for his recent appointment.
"I text him all the time. Ron at the end of the day is the one who recruited me," the Californian told Reuters at the end-of-season Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, his first race as head of McLaren.
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"The last couple of years he's left the door open…he turned up the volume in the pursuit of me and I wouldn't be talking to you right now if it wasn't for Ron Dennis," Brown told the news agency.
Dennis, the chairman and chief executive who built McLaren up was forced out by other shareholders two weeks ago and is now on 'gardening leave' until his contract expires in mid-January, Reuters noted.
After that, he will remain a 25% shareholder and board member but others will run the team.
Brown, a former racer and marketing expert who introduced top brands to Formula One while head of CSM Sport&Entertainment, told Reuters McLaren felt like home and it was the right time to join.
He said he would be focused more on "external commercial business" while chief operating officer Jonathan Neale looked after the technical side.
The pair report to an executive committee controlled by Bahrain investment fund Mumtalakat and Saudi-born businessman Mansour Ojjeh.
Driving the McLaren 650S Spider
