Zoom Dennis takes in Hamilton’s Abu Dhabi pole

McLaren chairman Ron Dennis made a timely return to a Formula One paddock on Saturday, witnessing his protégé Lewis Hamilton dominate qualifying for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The 62-year-old former long-time team boss began his exile earlier this year, apparently in a low-profile agreement with Max Mosley following the lie-gate scandal. Perhaps not coincidentally, Abu Dhabi is the first race since 1993 without Dennis' nemesis Max Mosley in charge of the FIA. Mosley's successor Jean Todt is also trackside this weekend.

While Dennis now heads up the McLaren sports car project, his successor as team principal was very happy with the performance put in by Hamilton.

“Lewis did a brilliant job, demonstrating prodigious speed, to secure pole position in dominant fashion in Abu Dhabi this evening,” explained Martin Whitmarsh. “We were relatively aggressive in terms of his fuel strategy, but we’ve certainly been more aggressive in a few other qualifying sessions this year and there’s therefore no doubt that his pace here is very genuine.”

The well oiled McLaren machine did not run completely according to plan however with Heikki Kovalainen’s MP4-24 grinding to a halt with a gearbox problem in the second round of qualifying leaving the Finn 13th on the grid.

“Heikki, too, would have figured at or close to the front had he not been hampered by a gearbox problem not of his making, but you can be well sure that he’ll be pushing as hard as ever tomorrow to make good progress from his P13 grid slot,” Whitmarsh concluded.

E.A. © CAPSIS International
Source: GMM