Ron Dennis Steps Down From F1 Team Mclaren

Ron Dennis has stepped down as chairman of McLaren, the Formula One team has confirmed. There has been continued speculation that the 61-year-old would be forced to resign his position after an investigation in the team's actions during the Australian grand prix. He did not travel to China for this weekend's race and is thought to be addressing staff at the team's Working headquarters.

Dennis has been involved in Formula One for 43 years but, after what the company called "major restructuring", he has now passed on responsibility for the team to Martin Whitmarsh. The former chairman says he will now focus on the automotive side of the company, in which he owns a 15% stake, and hopes to launch a new McLaren sports car in 2011.

Dennis gave up his role as team principal on 1 March, to be replaced by Whitmarsh again, and since then the team have faced difficulties after their 2009 car proved to be slower than most of those of their rivals. However it was the incident in the opening race of the season that is thought to have sparked Dennis' exit.

Though Lewis Hamilton, Dennis' protégé, finished in fourth in Melbourne - before being promoted to third when Jarno Trulli was penalized by 25 seconds - he was eventually disqualified. Tapes of race conversations with the pit lane showed that the British driver had been instructed to allow Trulli past and further investigation concluded that McLaren had provided "evidence deliberately misleading to the stewards".

The investigation into the affair is continuing after Hamilton claimed he was told not to tell the race stewards about the comments of his team director Dave Ryan, who has been sacked. There is a World Motor Sport Council hearing scheduled for 29 April, at which further sanctions are expected.