McLaren managing director on leave, not expected in Geneva

McLaren Automotive's U.S.-born managing director, Antony Sheriff, is expected to be absent from the launch of the P1 hypercar at Geneva next week because he is on extended leave from the company.

No reason for Sheriff's absence has been given, although McLaren is at pains to point out that he is “still employed as McLaren Automotive's managing director.”

Rumors were circulating about Sheriff's absence from Woking in January, but company spokesmen back then stressed that he was still employed by McLaren and would unveil the P1 at Geneva.

Despite those assurances, sources had reported earlier in the year that Sheriff “hadn't been seen in his office” for some days. “I sit next to him in the office and as far as I know he is still McLaren Automotive md,” said spokesman Wayne Bruce at that time.

Sheriff has been the linchpin of McLaren's effort to create a road-car division to rival Ferrari ever since he was recruited from Fiat Auto in 2003.

When he arrived at Woking, the main project was the SLR, co-developed with Mercedes.

Since then he has grown McLaren Automotive's manpower to around 500 engineers, planned its factory and product strategy and piloted the MP4-12C to production.

More recently, he has laid the foundations for the development of the P1 hypercar, the spiritual successor to the legendary mid-'90s F1.

Last June, he spoke to Autoweek, saying his move to McLaren almost faltered at the first hurdle when head-hunters didn't explain the significance of the job with “a small British sportscar company” clearly enough. Only when McLaren was named explicitly did he realize the offer was worth considering.

Before McLaren, Sheriff was Fiat's top product development manager with responsibility for Fiat, Alfa, Lancia and commercial vehicles.

By Julian Rendell