Ron Dennis rides off into the sunset with £275m!

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Ron Dennis has sold his entire remaining stake in McLaren, bowing out of the prestigious company he built after 37 years.

Dennis took over McLaren in 1980, when the F1 team was struggling for success and led the outfit to multiple world titles over three decades while also developing a successful road-car division under the famous name.

Dennis and co-owners of the McLaren Group fell out in 2014 for unspecified reasons. The Brit attempted to buy the company but failed to secure the required financial backing.

Ultimately, Dennis was ousted CEO of the McLaren Technology Group late last year, although he remained a 25% shareholder and the Chairman of the company.

Dennis has now agreed to relinquish his chairmanship and sell his remaining holdings in the McLaren Technology Group and in McLaren Automotive for an alleged £275m.

For all his success at the helm of the team founded by Bruce McLaren, Ron Dennis also endured a few low points.

McLaren was fined $100m and stripped of its 2007 constructor's' points for the team's role in a Spygate saga which had seen members of McLaren collude to obtain sensitive information and data from Ferrari.

Dennis's difficult personality and uncompromising approach led to fallouts with prominent team members over the years.

Former McLaren men Adrian Newey and Paddy Lowe parted ways with McLaren before enjoying overwhelming success elsewhere.

As the team struggles to revive its former luster in F1, the man who generated most of its success has now severed all ties and permanently closed the curtain on McLaren.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.