26/11/2015
NEWS STORY
McLaren boss Ron Dennis admits he wouldn't allow Lewis Hamilton the freedom he enjoys at Mercedes.
Admitting ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix weekend that his partying in the weeks after securing his third title had taken its toll, Hamilton climbed into his Mercedes for FP1 was soon setting the pace.
However, querying team orders for the second successive race, and being beaten by teammate Nico Rosberg, led to some wondering whether the Briton has already switched off for the winter break.
One interested observer is Ron Dennis, the man who brought Hamilton into F1, having nurtured the youngster's career from karts all the way to that first title.
Ruling with a rod of iron at Woking, Dennis has admitted that had Hamilton remained part of the McLaren family, rather than heading off to Mercedes in 2013, he would have been kept on a tighter rein.
"If he was at McLaren he wouldn't be behaving the way he is because he wouldn't be allowed to," said Dennis, according to the Guardian. "He's shaking off some chains he didn't want to have."
Whilst Toto Wolff has said he has no intention of curbing Hamilton's rock 'n' roll lifestyle, certainly whilst he is still winning, Bernie Ecclestone is delighted, insisting that the Briton is the best world champion the sport has ever had, in terms of publicising the sport.
All of which will be at odds with the tight ship that Dennis runs, though after this season his team could do with a reason to party.
"I look at him with mixed emotions," said Dennis. "It was an interesting experience for everybody and it wasn't completely smooth and harmonious, and I don't approve of everything he does or says. But nevertheless, great athletes are great because of the sacrifices they have to make. And sometimes sacrifices are in a very formative part of their childhood so they don't always emerge with the all the right social process or behaviour or tendencies that you like."
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