Former McLaren boss Dennis knighted in New Year Honours

Former McLaren boss Ron Dennis has been knighted in the New YearHonours list of King Charles III. Dennis, who left McLaren and F1,in June 2017 after being ousted has received a knighthood forservices to charity, with the 76-year-old a founder of theDreamchasing project that aims to reduce poverty around the world.Dennis is also chairman and founder of Podium Analytics and Tommy's- charities which help sports stars reduce injury and also supportthose who suffer complications and loss of children duringpregnancy, respectively, with Dennis and former wife Lisa losing achild of their own. Dennis took control of McLaren in the 1980s,and turned the team into one of the most successful teams inhistory, winning the Constructors' in 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990,1991 and 1998 to go with Drivers' titles in all of those years and1986 and 2008. Under his stewardship, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost,Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton all became WorldChampion, with Dennis stepping down in early 2009 following theSpygate scandal of 2007 and Hamilton winning the title in 2008. Hereturned to McLaren having ousted protege Martin Whitmarsh in 2014,and was instrumental in securing the return to Honda power for2015. However, a boardroom struggle with the late Mansour Ojjeh andother shareholders saw Dennis's contract expire in January 2017,and formerly leaving the team in June. He has kept a low profileever since. In other motorsport honours news, Red Bull bossChristian Horner's OBE has been upgraded to CBE for services tomotorsport.