The morning after Lewis Hamilton delivered McLaren's first drivers' title in nine years, Ron Dennis hinted he is about to step down from the helm of the formula one team.

He told reporters in Sao Paulo that he is keen to develop the company's production car programme, but played down any link between the news and Hamilton's title triumph.

"Nothing that will unfold over the next few months will be as a result of yesterday," Dennis, 61, said.

He insisted that a scaled down role at McLaren-Mercedes, to almost certainly be headed in his absence by chief executive Martin Whitmarsh, will not diminish his presence at grands prix.

"You are most definitely going to see me at grands prix, it is something I like too much to take it out of my life," Dennis said.

"But I think over the next few months I will make it abundantly clear what I am doing and why I'm doing it."

He said a McLaren production car programme, designed to match the success of key F1 rival Ferrari's, is very close to being launched.

"I have believed passionately in the need for a grand prix team to diversify," he said.

"We do intend to try and match the success of Ferrari and to do that we can't just be a grand prix team."

Source: GMM