Ron Dennis has recalled how he decided by a coin toss how much Ayrton Senna would earn when he drove for McLaren.
Senna arrived at McLaren in 1988 and, as one of the biggest talents on the grid, he naturally wanted to be financially rewarded for it, but Dennis wasn’t going to sign a big check that easily.
Ron Dennis emerged victorious from this game intended to decide between the Brazilian’s claims and the salary that McLaren was prepared to pay for him.
“I would never trivialize money. The problem is he was extremely determined and I was very determined. He wanted to drive for McLaren, I wanted him to drive for McLaren and we were at an absolute impasse.
“I actually told him, knowing that he was quite religious. I said, ‘Do you believe in chance? Do you believe that there are greater forces in this world and in humanity?’ And he said, “Of course, there’s God.” I said, “Well, let’s let God decide, let’s flip a coin.”
“I had to show him heads and tails to make sure that when that coin stopped there was no conflict and all he did was laugh. We We both laughed.”
“I normally gamble with pilots, more for the humor than anything else. It’s a great way to break the tension in relationships to bring a little humor and bring a little frivolity.”
Senna died the year after leaving Dennis’ team. As for whether he could have dealt with the death of a pilot while flying for him, Dennis wasn’t sure how he would react.
“That’s a very good question. I can’t give you an honest answer other than I’ve thought about it constantly. Would I stop if a pilot lost his life in one of my cars?
“I think the circumstances wouldn’t have mattered. There are things you feel responsible for and things you don’t. I mean, a tire failure is a classic example, where the accident can be quite devastating, but I was so lucky that I never found myself in that situation.”
“But it wasn’t just luck, we were extremely aware in the company that drivers must survive accidents but also be unscathed. Our F1 cars did not skimp on safety, parts replaced within all the time limits recommended in the later.”
