The Management
Ron Dennis
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, McLaren Group
At the age of 18, as an apprentice mechanic at the Cooper F1 team, Ron Dennis got the opportunity of a lifetime: a trip to the Mexican Grand Prix to work on the team's third car. He has never looked back. He rose to become chief mechanic for three-time world champion Jack Brabham, and in 1971 he founded his own racing team. In 1980 he bought in to McLaren and began to stamp his characteristic rigour and attention to detail on the company. McLaren's list of successes since then has been almost endless, as has the string of racing legends to drive for them. Dennis finally stepped back from racing operations in 2009 to focus on the automotive side of the company.
Martin Whitmarsh
Team Principal
Martin Whitmarsh began his career with BAE Systems in 1980 after graduating from the University of Portsmouth with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He rose to the level of Manufacturing Director, in charge of military airframes, before joining McLaren Racing in 1989. He rose to become Team Principal of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, with overall responsibility for the performance of the team, in 2009. He is also the Chief Operating Officer of the McLaren Group and he was voted chairman of the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) in 2010.
Jonathan Neale
Managing Director
Jonathan Neale graduated from Nottingham University with a Physics degree in 1984 and moved into the defence industry. In 1999 he took charge of the Hawk Fast Jet Program at BAE Systems, then in 2001 he moved to McLaren Racing as Operations Director, overseeing logistics and manufacturing. In 2004 he was promoted to Managing Director, adding strategic responsibility for the engineering departments to his remit.
Paddy Lowe
Engineering Director
Paddy Lowe graduated from Cambridge University in 1984 with a degree in Engineering. In 1993, after six years at the Williams F1 team, he joined McLaren Racing as Head of Research and Development. In 2001 he became Chief Engineer - Systems Development, with responsibility for the MP4-20 race car. He was appointed Engineering Director in 2005 and has overseen all the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes cars since, before graduating to the role of Technical Director in January 2011.
Neil Oatley
Design & Development Director
Neil Oatley joined the Williams Formula 1 team as a draughtsman in 1977 after graduating from Loughborough University with a degree in Automotive Engineering. His career has taken him from the drawing board to hands-on race engineering the likes of Keke Rosberg and Nigel Mansell and back again. After a short stint at Team Haas Lola, he joined McLaren Racing in 1986, and in 1988 he was made Chief Designer. During his time in that role the team won five Drivers' Championships. In 2003 he became the Design & Development Director, with overall responsibility for the design and specification process.
