McLaren team boss Ron Dennis will be keeping a lid on his emotions at the British Grand Prix this weekend, particularly if Lewis Hamilton wins in front of his home crowd.
With the 22-year-old rookie top of the Formula One standings, 14 points clear of double world champion team mate Fernando Alonso, Dennis is determined to avoid any hint of favouritism destabilising the team.
Hamilton will be making his first Formula One race appearance on home territory in a blaze of media attention after two wins and eight consecutive podium finishes. Alonso
could easily feel overlooked.
Dennis's solution is to stay stony-faced.
"One of the problems we have in the team at the moment is that we are all trying to behave correctly, and do the right thing and try to be balanced in how we respond to the success and failure of the team as a whole and the drivers," Dennis told reporters at the French Grand Prix last weekend. Probably the person who is trying the hardest is me.
"I am phenomenally fond of both drivers. I have a huge respect for Fernando's achievements. Clearly I have respect for what Lewis has achieved this season and in the rest of his career," he said. "But I will not allow myself ...to indulge in emotion that is counter productive to the interest of the team.
"I close down, come to the race, and try to be absolutely
professional," added Dennis.
The Briton said he would always feel good about the chance exchange on the Brazilian Grand Prix podium of 2005, the day Alonso won his first title with Renault, which led to the Spaniard joining McLaren.
In the same way, he would never forget the first time, a decade ago, that Hamilton walked up to him at a black-tie awards function and introduced himself.
"These moments that make you feel good, you have got to close them away and be professional when you come to the Grand Prix," added Dennis, whose team are 25 points clear of a resurgent Ferrari.
"Inevitably, the sound bite that I could give you is not positively looked at by Fernando and vice versa. So I just go down this neutral path and keep my emotions in check." Asked to put into words just how extraordinary Hamilton was, and what his eighth podium would mean for the youngster heading to Silverstone, Dennis kept to his word. "I don't think you need me to elaborate," he smiled.
Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, has told Spanish interviewers that he expects McLaren to favour Lewis Hamilton for a win this Sunday because it will be his home race. He said he would not argue with that because the team had wanted him to win in Barcelona. Alonso said however that he sees Ferrari as favourites for the Silverstone race because of their strong performance during testing there.
"Inevitably, the sound bite that I could give you is not positively looked at by Fernando and vice versa. So I just go down this neutral path and keep my emotions in check." Asked to put into words just how extraordinary Hamilton was, and what his eighth podium would mean for the youngster heading to Silverstone, Dennis kept to his word. "I don't think you need me to elaborate," he smiled.
Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, has told Spanish interviewers that he expects McLaren to favour Lewis Hamilton for a win this Sunday because it will be his home race. He said he would not argue with that because the team had wanted him to win in Barcelona. Alonso said however that he sees Ferrari as favourites for the Silverstone race because of their strong performance during testing there.