Analysis: the remarkable Stepneygate saga
02-20-2008, 11:44 AM
#47
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Stepney disappointed with Coughlan's take
By Michele Lostia and Pablo Elizalde Tuesday, February 19th 2008, 10:35 GMT
Nigel Stepney is waiting for Mike Coughlan to explain his position in the spy scandal, after insisting on Monday that he had not handed any Ferrari data to McLaren's suspended chief designer.
Stepney was interviewed on Monday by an Italian magistrate probing last year's spying scandal, and the former Ferrari mechanic said he had nothing to hide.
His lawyer Sonia Bartolini said Stepney had again denied having given any Ferrari information to Coughlan.
"When questioned my client rejected the accusation of having given Coughlan the 780-page dossier with Ferrari projects to give to McLaren," Bartolini was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.
"There were always contacts between them, but there never was a hand-over of written documents.
"It's true that Nigel met Coughlan in Barcelona last spring to organize a move to Honda. They scribbled some drawings, that's it. In fact Nigel struggled to identify those 780 pages because he never had them at his disposal. Maybe all that material got stolen, but that has nothing to do with Stepney.
"This is why he's disappointed with Coughlan and his contradicting statements, while Stepney's statements to the magistrate are consistent with those given to the FIA."
Gazzetta reports that there is a possibility Coughlan and Stepney will be interrogated at the same time, face-to-face.
"At the moment, the interrogation of Stepney is more than enough," Magistrate Giuseppe Tibis said. "He collaborated by answering every question. As for the other people under investigation, it will be up to them to decide whether to show up or not.
"I've already invited them, maybe I'll see some of them in March."
Bartolini added: "The confrontation is fine, Stepney has nothing to hide. If anyone, it's Coughlan the one who has to make his position clear: from Great Britain we understand that he's never been removed from McLaren. We count on getting hold of documentation that testifies Stepney's good will."
Tibis was was to question leading McLaren figures, including team boss Ron Dennis and F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh, on Monday but the meeting was put back.
Nigel Stepney is waiting for Mike Coughlan to explain his position in the spy scandal, after insisting on Monday that he had not handed any Ferrari data to McLaren's suspended chief designer.
Stepney was interviewed on Monday by an Italian magistrate probing last year's spying scandal, and the former Ferrari mechanic said he had nothing to hide.
His lawyer Sonia Bartolini said Stepney had again denied having given any Ferrari information to Coughlan.
"When questioned my client rejected the accusation of having given Coughlan the 780-page dossier with Ferrari projects to give to McLaren," Bartolini was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.
"There were always contacts between them, but there never was a hand-over of written documents.
"It's true that Nigel met Coughlan in Barcelona last spring to organize a move to Honda. They scribbled some drawings, that's it. In fact Nigel struggled to identify those 780 pages because he never had them at his disposal. Maybe all that material got stolen, but that has nothing to do with Stepney.
"This is why he's disappointed with Coughlan and his contradicting statements, while Stepney's statements to the magistrate are consistent with those given to the FIA."
Gazzetta reports that there is a possibility Coughlan and Stepney will be interrogated at the same time, face-to-face.
"At the moment, the interrogation of Stepney is more than enough," Magistrate Giuseppe Tibis said. "He collaborated by answering every question. As for the other people under investigation, it will be up to them to decide whether to show up or not.
"I've already invited them, maybe I'll see some of them in March."
Bartolini added: "The confrontation is fine, Stepney has nothing to hide. If anyone, it's Coughlan the one who has to make his position clear: from Great Britain we understand that he's never been removed from McLaren. We count on getting hold of documentation that testifies Stepney's good will."
Tibis was was to question leading McLaren figures, including team boss Ron Dennis and F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh, on Monday but the meeting was put back.
03-09-2008, 05:16 PM
#48
Formula One Spin Doctor
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Stepney critical of his handling by the FIA
By Biranit Goren Saturday, March 8th 2008, 15:30 GMT
Nigel Stepney has welcomed the FIA's announcement that it cannot officially sanction the former Ferrari mechanic, but he slammed the governing body for its handling of his affair over the past six months.
The FIA said yesterday it could not ban Stepney from working in motor racing, since he is not a sanctioned license holder.
Nevertheless, the governing body issued a recommendation to all its license holders to consider carefully if they should collaborate with the Briton prior to July 1st 2009.
Reacting to the FIA's statement, Stepney said today he was "delighted that the FIA have backed down" from their threat to ban him from motorsport but criticised the fact it took the FIA several months to reach this conclusion.
"They may want to do some due diligence themselves before simply accepting one side of the story," Stepney said in a statement released by his lawyers in the UK.
According to the statement, Stepney himself "admits that a former McLaren engineer and friend of 20 years had obtained very limited information as a result of his carelessness".
"Frankly, I should have known better," Stepney was quoted as saying. "But it sure as hell wasn't the 780-page dossier the FIA saw, and which I've just been shown for the first time by the Italian authorities."
Stepney is under criminal investigation in Italy for suspected industrial espionage against his then-employers Ferrari, but the veteran mechanic has maintained throughout his innocence in the matter, denying he gave McLaren then-chief designer Mike Coughlan a dossier of 780 pages, containing confidential Ferrari information.
Sian Nath, of Stepney's UK law firm Coyle White Devine, said: "It should be noted that Mr Stepney has never admitted any dishonest intention. The FIA is fully aware of that.
"Our client blew the whistle on certain matters to FIA officials; that is not in any contention. The Italian authorities were made aware of this last month; they, too, accept his position."
Stepney himself said he was particularly frustrated by the fact that he wrote in detail to FIA president Max Mosley in August last year, and that the FIA has not met with him since.
Stepney denied the FIA's statement, which said he had admitted to passing Ferrari secrets to McLaren employees and apologised for it.
"It'll all come out in the book," said Stepney, who plans to release his autobiography later this year.
"Right now, I'm getting on with the job that's been my life and enjoying my family, who've suffered enormously and stood by me throughout, in peace."
Nigel Stepney has welcomed the FIA's announcement that it cannot officially sanction the former Ferrari mechanic, but he slammed the governing body for its handling of his affair over the past six months.
The FIA said yesterday it could not ban Stepney from working in motor racing, since he is not a sanctioned license holder.
Nevertheless, the governing body issued a recommendation to all its license holders to consider carefully if they should collaborate with the Briton prior to July 1st 2009.
Reacting to the FIA's statement, Stepney said today he was "delighted that the FIA have backed down" from their threat to ban him from motorsport but criticised the fact it took the FIA several months to reach this conclusion.
"They may want to do some due diligence themselves before simply accepting one side of the story," Stepney said in a statement released by his lawyers in the UK.
According to the statement, Stepney himself "admits that a former McLaren engineer and friend of 20 years had obtained very limited information as a result of his carelessness".
"Frankly, I should have known better," Stepney was quoted as saying. "But it sure as hell wasn't the 780-page dossier the FIA saw, and which I've just been shown for the first time by the Italian authorities."
Stepney is under criminal investigation in Italy for suspected industrial espionage against his then-employers Ferrari, but the veteran mechanic has maintained throughout his innocence in the matter, denying he gave McLaren then-chief designer Mike Coughlan a dossier of 780 pages, containing confidential Ferrari information.
Sian Nath, of Stepney's UK law firm Coyle White Devine, said: "It should be noted that Mr Stepney has never admitted any dishonest intention. The FIA is fully aware of that.
"Our client blew the whistle on certain matters to FIA officials; that is not in any contention. The Italian authorities were made aware of this last month; they, too, accept his position."
Stepney himself said he was particularly frustrated by the fact that he wrote in detail to FIA president Max Mosley in August last year, and that the FIA has not met with him since.
Stepney denied the FIA's statement, which said he had admitted to passing Ferrari secrets to McLaren employees and apologised for it.
"It'll all come out in the book," said Stepney, who plans to release his autobiography later this year.
"Right now, I'm getting on with the job that's been my life and enjoying my family, who've suffered enormously and stood by me throughout, in peace."
