McLaren F1 boss refused to pay injured drivers

Lewis Hamilton and Ron Dennis at McLaren in 2008 — Photo: © IMAGO

McLaren F1

McLaren F1 boss refused to pay injured drivers

Should drivers be restricted on how often they race outside of F1?

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Wednesday 20 May 2026 11:57

A former McLaren F1 star has revealed that then team boss Ron Dennis refused to pay a driver if they became injured.

While safety has improved vastly in the modern era of F1, motorsport in general remains a massive risk for drivers across multiple racing disciplines.

During the Nurburgring 24 Hours Qualifiers, a seven-car crash resulted in the death of 66-year-old Juha Miettinen, a tragic reminder of the danger that still persists in motorsport, despite advancements in safety.

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Following the tragic accident, questions were raised about Verstappen's own participation at the Nurburgring, and whether Red Bull in particular were comfortable with him taking the risk.

Around this time, Juan Pablo Montoya questioned Red Bull's decision to let Verstappen race at the Nurburgring, and said on the MontoyAS podcast: "I know that what happened is terrible. Do you think Red Bull would reconsider what permission they give Max to race those cars?"

When providing his own thoughts on the matter, Montoya then said he would impose a ban on Verstappen racing outside of F1, if he was Red Bull's boss, saying: "100 per cent. No, sorry. 200 per cent.

"There could be an accident, he could break his leg or arm. The money that Red Bull has invested in him should be enough reason to say, 'Look, we gave you the chance, but with this accident we are reconsidering it and we think that this should not happen'.

"Personally, I would have done it if I had been the boss of Red Bull."

Coulthard: Dennis refused to pay injured drivers

Verstappen's exploits at the Nurburgring were part of a discussion on the most recent Up to Speed podcast, where it was debated whether there should be a limit as to what drivers can do outside of F1.

During the podcast they also pointed to Robert Kubica, whose career came to a halt in Formula 1 after a rally crash in 2011, which was later revealed to be a particularly poignant moment as he had signed a pre-contract with Ferrari for 2012.

Former McLaren star David Coulthard offered his insight into the conundrum of letting drivers race elsewhere, by revealing Dennis' rule about injured drivers when he was in control of the team.

"When I started my career with Williams, it was very tight on all the things that I wasn't allowed to do outside of a race car," Coulthard explained.

"McLaren, I have to say, Ron Dennis had a very relaxed approach to that. Ron Dennis was the team principal and shareholder at McLaren who'd worked with Prost and Senna and Lauda and some of the greats before, so you would imagine he would be quite strict, but he was like, "If you're not able to race, I won't pay you." And maybe he thought that was incentive for a Scotsman not to be injured. You know, I'd want to be paid.

"But we would go winter training with him in the mountains in Courchevel skiing. And you'd think that would be something you wouldn't really encourage.

"So I think you can take two approaches. You either trust people and allow them to be themselves or you restrict people and then they start doing little naughty trips."

F1 McLaren David Coulthard Ron Dennis