Mansour Ojjeh and Lewis Hamilton worked together at McLaren
Mansour Ojjeh, a major McLaren shareholder and a key figure in the team’s history for nearly 40 years, has died at the age of 68.
The Paris-born Saudi billionaire bought McLaren’s shop in 1984 and, along with his former business partner Ron Dennis, was a driving force behind their great success.
A statement from McLaren said the team mourn their loss with deep sorrow.
Ojjeh maintained a low profile public figure, but was instrumental in McLaren’s successes over a long period of time.
His son Sultan, 29, had already taken his place on the boards of McLaren Racing and the group of companies.
Ojjeh’s career included winning 10 driver titles from McLaren with Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Häkkinen and Lewis Hamilton, as well as nine constructors’ championships through engine partnerships with Porsche, Honda and Mercedes.
Ojjeh had eased his stake in McLaren after a double lung transplant in 2013 but recovered in time to play a key role in ousting Dennis from the company. The two former friends fell out a few years ago over a personal matter.
Zak Brown, McLaren Racing Chief Executive Officer, said, “Mansour was a real racing driver in every way. Extremely competitive, determined, passionate and, above all, perhaps his most distinctive quality: sport. No matter how intense the fight was, Mansour always bet on sport first.
“Mansour was a titan of our sport, but humble, humble and disarming towards everything he encountered. His easygoing manner, sharp wit and warm humor touched everyone who was lucky enough to know him.”
In a joint statement by Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff and Daimler’s CEO, Ola Kallenius, it says: “Mansour was a business icon with a deep passion for racing.
“Together with Ron Dennis at McLaren, he set a new standard for leading a Formula 1 team, and Mercedes has had iconic moments with them over many years of partnership.
“Mansour was a staunch fighter too – and a true and loyal friend. We will miss him dearly.”
Hamilton said he has “a heavy heart after losing a close friend”. The seven-time champion said Ojjeh “had the biggest heart and always wore the biggest smile – I am so grateful to have known such a man”.
F1 President Stefano Domenicali said: “He was someone with incredible talent, passion and energy and was a giant of our sport. I will miss him very much and the entire F1 community too.”
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso, who competed for McLaren in 2007 and 2015-2018, said: “So sad for it. One of the best people I have ever met in the sport and a man with a big heart. Will become really missed. “
A quietly glittering career
Ojjeh’s involvement in Formula 1 began when his company, Techniques d’Avant Garde, sponsored Williams in the late 1970s – with world championship titles in 1980 and 1982.
Dennis persuaded Ojjeh to go to McLaren and fund the development of a turbo engine from Porsche, which debuted at the end of the 1983 season.
In 1984 the McLaren Tag Porsche dominated Formula 1, the team won 12 of 16 races and Lauda beat teammate Prost for the title by the smallest margin in history, half a point.
It was the beginning of a series of waves of success in which McLaren dominated the sport at times.
Prost won the championships in 1985 and 1986 before the team switched to Honda engines in 1988 and ushered in a new era of domination after signing Senna.
Senna and Prost won 15 of 16 races in 1988, the Brazilian took the title before the French won again in 1989. Senna followed in 1990 and 1991 after Prost left.
Further titles followed in 1998 and 1999 with Häkkinen and 2008 with Hamilton.
Former McLaren Race Director Eric Boullier called Ojjeh “one of the legends of the paddock” and said it was an “honor” to work with him.
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