f1316 wrote:Doesn't seem like they have a hard and fast rule for hair length, but that they are more concerned with corporate image than most.
Case in point are the drivers' interview - they've clearly had media training. The very first thing Hamilton and Button always say is: "First of all good afternoon everyone" or "first of all I'd like to thank/congratulate" before actually answering a question. It's any obvious corporate style.
Nothing against it really. I find it a bit bland, but it's totally understandable.
Here is a nice article that popped up..
"The real Ron Dennis"
http://www.pitlanemagazine.com/magazine/?p=435
Ron openly admits he can be ‘difficult to live with’ and has a certain level of O.C.D, but it’s not always easy for people without the condition to understand and work within the same boundaries. At McLaren everything has to be done a certain way, Ron’s way, and I can assure you it’s enough to drive you to despair on a regular basis. Over time, the ones who do stick it out, grow accustomed to the idiosyncrasies and probably inherit a small part of Ron’s personality in the process. I’ve often thought to myself he probably takes enormous satisfaction from the notion he’s striving to create his own small population of ‘perfect’ corporate clones.
It’s fair to say, I probably couldn’t be described as a ‘perfect corporate clone’ and, on more than one occasion, managed to incur the wrath of the boss for enjoying myself a little too much or going slightly over the top with a prank or two.
At the Australian GP of 2004 I arrived for the 1st race of the season with almost shoulder length hair, something which in itself raised Ron’s blood pressure considerably as it didn’t fit the team’s ‘image’. After the race, with a day off before flying on to Malaysia for a weeks holiday preceding round two, most people spent a day at the beach, on a boat, or sight seeing. On a fairly spur of the moment decision, I walked into a Melbourne hair salon and spent 6 hours having my lengthy mane transformed into some seriously funky dread locks. I then spent a week chilling by the pool and enjoying the Kuala Lumpur night life before reporting for duty in the days before the race.
Malaysia’s GP went without hitch and the raging response I’d feared from Ron never came. Until, that is, I returned to the UK for another break between races. The phone call came and I was summoned to the factory where I was, in no uncertain terms, enlightened as to Mr Dennis’ feelings towards my new look. He can be a persuasive man and so a week later when I arrived for the Brazilian GP, the dreads had gone and I blended reluctantly back into the crowd.
