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McLaren man Jonathan Neale set to leave group

McLaren has announced that long-standing executive Jonathan Neale is set to leave the Woking-based company later this year.

Neale has served as the McLaren Group's chief executive officer since 2016, having previously been at the helm of the F1 team as its managing director.

As a former British Aerospace colleague of ex-McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh, Neale was encouraged by the latter to join the racing outfit in 2021 as its operations director, before becoming its managing director in 2005.

Along with McLaren boss Ron Dennis and Whitmarsh, Neale guided the team's efforts during a successful period that included Lewis Hamilton's world title in 2008.

Read also: A winning celebration long overdue for McLaren

However, upon the end of Dennis' tenure as chairman of McLaren at the end of 2016, Neale stepped away from his day-to-day involvement with the team to become COO of the McLaren Group.

The onslaught of the global coronavirus pandemic has been a challenging period for the automotive and racing company which has been forced on multiple occasions in the past two years to restructure its financial and shareholder foundation.

Last July, McLaren received a £550 million investment from Saudi Arabia which joined Bahrain as the second Middle Eastern country to invest in McLaren.

While its automotive activities make take more time to rebound, the McLaren team is currently third in the F1 Constructors' championship, having returned to the winner's circle last weekend at Monza after a nine-year drought.

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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.