x, the Clerk of the Course. Here was a man who knew all

Zak Brown has joined McLaren in the role of executive director as the team reshape their management structure following the ousting of Ron Dennis. The 45-year-old marketing guru will start work at McLaren next month.In my new role Ill be able to combine my absolute passion with my unparalleled area of expertise - respectively motorsport and marketing - while ensuring that the two stay totally aligned, said Brown. But McLaren have confirmed that, in the wake of Dennis exit, the process of identifying and recruiting a new Group Chief Executive Officer will continue.Sources revealed to Sky Sports last week that Brown had received offers from both McLaren and Liberty Media, the sports proposed new owners. The American is thought to have informed F1s commercial rights holder over the weekend of his intention to take the McLaren job.McLaren have described Browns appointment as a significant part of a restructuring programme that will align the Groups commercial and strategic operations relating to achieving success in Formula 1.Reporting to McLaren Technology Groups Executive Committee, Brown will lead the businesses alongside chief operating officer Jonathan Neale.Already a familiar face within the F1 paddock, Brown is a free agent after tendering his resignation as the chief executive of the CSM sport marketing and entertainment group two months ago. Sky News reported last week that McLaren executives warned the team stood to lose up to £160m in sponsorship money were Dennis to be ousted. According to The Sunday Times, Dennis is now weighing whether to launch a damages claim against his fellow shareholders in the McLaren Technology Group.Still considered to be an F1 superpower, McLaren have won just one world championship this century and are without an F1 race victory since 2012. Also See: The Formula 1 Gossip column Brown receives McLaren offer Dennis steps down at McLaren When is Abu Dhabi on Sky F1? Evgeny Svechnikov Jersey . - The Washington Redskins have cut defensive lineman Adam Carriker and punter Sav Rocca. Nicklas Lidstrom Jersey . After dropping their final six games of December, the Wild opened the new calendar year with four consecutive wins. Following a loss to Colorado on Saturday, Minnesota rebounded the following night to blank Nashville 4-0, but then had the tables turned on them Tuesday. http://www.redwingshockeyauthentic.com/brendan-shanahan-jersey/ . 10 Texas A&Ms offence dominated as usual against SMU. Frans Nielsen Jersey . The quest begins with what is supposed to be an easy one, although Germany has traditionally been a stubborn opponent to Canadian teams at international tournaments. Jonathan Ericsson Jersey . Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. Who would be Charlie Whiting? Last Sunday he was damned if he did and damned if he didnt.The race director had to walk the fine line between providing a race for the bedraggled spectators around the track and an expectant audience sitting in the dry at home while, at the same time, carrying the can should something go terribly wrong.Take Kimi R?ikk?nens spin as one example. What if someone had speared through the spray and into the hapless Finn? What if that car had ridden up the nose of the Ferrari and struck the driver? What if bits of debris had flown into the pit lane or the grandstand?Hypothetical and pessimistic, I know. But its not difficult to imagine the headlines the following morning as the world - fed by a voracious media - demanded answers. In the event of a fatality or serious injury, the first question in these Health and Safety obsessed days would have been: Surely it was madness to allow the race to run in those conditions? Over to you, Mr. Whiting.As it happens, the race director and his team called it absolutely right. With one proviso. The second red flag was so much of a mystery at the time that Niki Lauda and TV commentators questioned it in public.In fact, the decision was driven by the fairly certain knowledge that the poor weather was set to continue, thus bringing further tedious safety car running as the clock ticked towards the two-hour cut-off. Far better, it was reasoned, to wait for an improvement and then get on with the racing. Which is exactly what happened. The single failure was not to relay such commendable logic to the waiting world and short-circuit the subsequent bad PR.Lauda did say that drivers should be allowed to decide for themselves whether or not to race. Its difficult to argue with the triple world champion on that one, particularly when he quit the teeming wet 1976 Japanese Grand Prix knowing that ballsy decision might assist James Hunt to the title.When discussing last Sundays fantastic motor race (to quote CChristian Horner and many others), it is worth noting that the same sentiments might have been voiced post-race at Suzuka 2014 had Jules Bianchi not had his appalling accident.dddddddddddd Without getting into a discussion about the reason behind it, the crash did highlight the difficulties facing the man with his finger hovering over the red button.Much has been written and tweeted about Max Verstappens drive (and lets not forget Lewis Hamiltons peerless performance at the front) with comparisons being made between the Red Bull drivers stunning commitment and that of Ayrton Senna at Monaco in 1984.On that day, 32 years ago, the responsibility for halting the wet race lay with Jacky Ickx, the Clerk of the Course. Here was a man who knew all about winning in the rain (think 1968 French Grand Prix at Rouen) and yet he faced calls to have this one stopped. Ickx duly showed the red flag after 31 laps -- just as Senna, driving the cumbersome Toleman-Hart, had caught and was about to pass Alain Prosts leading McLaren-TAG.Sennas first F1 win denied by an official decision? Possibly not. A look at the lap times shows the leaders being caught hand-over fist by Stefan Bellof in the nimble non-turbo Tyrrell-Ford. Sennas fastest lap had been 1:54.334 on lap 24. His final three laps were 1:55.666, 1:59.008 and 1:59.433. Bellofs final three were 1:54.978 (his fastest), 1:58.949 and 1:59.219.You will not find Bellofs lap times on the FIAs official Olivetti/Longines results sheets for 1984. His name, and that of team-mate Martin Brundle, was surgically removed after Tyrrell had been thrown out of the championship later in the year.At least we wont have that to contend with when discussing what might have happened in the championship had different decisions been made last Sunday. Then again, given this roller-coaster season, anything could happen. ' ' '