Analysis: the remarkable Stepneygate saga
07-04-2007, 06:15 PM
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Analysis: the remarkable Stepneygate saga
By Adam Cooper Tuesday, July 3rd 2007, 23:03 GMT
'Stepneygate' has sent shock waves through Formula One in recent days, and Tuesday's news that a senior McLaren employee is involved in obtaining stolen documents belonging to Ferrari has added yet another dimension to the story.
Ferrari and McLaren have had a highly charged rivalry for three decades now, but this latest episode is perhaps the strangest yet.
The 'Dream Team' Disbanded
Nigel Stepney at the 2006 Japanese Grand PrixNigel Stepney began his motorsport career in the 1970s, when he worked for the Broadspeed touring car team, before moving through stints at Shadow and Lotus - where he worked with Ayrton Senna.
From 1988 to 1992 he was at Benetton as chief mechanic. He earned a reputation as a good organiser who paid attention to detail and kept the troops in line. That was just what Ferrari needed when he was head-hunted by former Benetton colleague John Barnard in 1993, shortly before Jean Todt joined the Italian team.
He knew Michael Schumacher, Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne in his time at Benetton, so when they came to Maranello in 1996 and 1997, it was a reuniting of the old gang.
Through the Schumacher glory years, Stepney received a lot of the credit for getting the team on track, especially in terms of reliability and improved preparation. He also became better known after Schumacher ran him over during a pitstop in the 2000 Spanish Grand Prix; after that incident, he gave the lollipop job to someone else...
His job title changed from that of chief mechanic to that of race technical manager. He was clearly a key part of the 'Dream Team', and indeed on occasion he went on to the podium to represent Ferrari and pick up the constructors' trophy.
There was no reason to suspect he was anything but very happy at Ferrari until some time last year, when in conversation he casually mentioned that he was hoping to switch to a factory-based job in 2008.
Schumacher was about to announce his retirement, and Brawn was going on a sabbatical. Like them, Stepney used up a lot of energy through those championship-chasing years, and presumably he quite liked the idea of slowing down, thinking about new challenges.
But he also made it clear that with Schumacher not driving, and even more importantly with Brawn gone, the team would no longer be the same. In essence, he wasn't too happy about being involved in something that potentially was going to go downhill with a new regime in charge.
In fact, Stepney had quite a colourful way of expressing his feeling at the time, and his candour was quite surprising.
Then, during the winter, Stepney made his feeling publicly known in an interview with Autosport magazine, much to Ferrari's displeasure.
House Search at Casa Stepney
By the time Formula One arrived at Melbourne for the opening race of the season, there was no sign of Stepney, whose new factory role was head of team performance development.
This followed by rumours that Stepney was contemplating a move to Honda - entirely logical, considering he is a Briton who presumably always fancied moving back home (throughout his Ferrari years, Brawn always maintained a double life, with a house in the UK). With Brawn's name also linked to Honda, it seemed plausible that both men could end up there.
Then, a couple of weeks ago, came the bombshell news that Stepney was under criminal investigation in Italy, following action taken by Ferrari, and that he had 'disappeared' abroad.
All sorts of mixed messages came out in the days that followed. Key among them was talk of a white powder being found in or around the Ferrari F2007 fuel tank before the Monaco Grand Prix, and the suggestion therefore Stepney tried to sabotage the cars.
The police duly raided the Briton's house in Italy, and it was reported that they had taken away a canister, which we could only presume was related to the aforementioned white powder.
Things took a different turn on June 24, when the Sunday Times reported Stepney's view. Journalist Jane Nottage, who knows Stepney well and has written an officially sanctioned book about the inner workings of Ferrari, called him in the Philippines, where he was holidaying with his girlfriend and their child.
"I have confidence that I'll be cleared by the legal process that is now taking place," he told her. "It is just part of a dirty tricks campaign and everything is in the hands of my lawyer, so we'll wait and see what happens.
"I am on a planned holiday with Ash and our baby. Why would anyone say I am not contactable? I booked the flights through the Ferrari travel office. They know where I am."
In a further twist, a Ferrari spokesman told autosport.com at Magny-Cours last weekend that this last statement was not true, and indeed, Stepney was not even on an official leave.
Meanwhile, the rumours continued to fly around, and bits of information come out in dribs and drabs. I've been told that the police officers who visited Casa Nigel didn't just recover that canister, but other items of interest, reportedly including a couple of steering wheels that should not have been there.
Sources have also suggested that Stepney was allegedly seen behaving suspiciously around the cars in the factory at a time when he thought he was alone, and/or that there is incriminating CCTV footage.
In addition to the white powder business, there were also rumours of some form of industrial espionage.
It seemed obvious to assume that any such behaviour might involve a potential future employer such as Honda, but there was a whisper last weekend that McLaren were the recipient.
Sabotaging the cars, helping McLaren by passing on secrets... The story got weirder and weirder. What was Stepney supposedly up to?
The only conclusion a casual observer could make was that some internal strife at Maranello, possibly involving Stepney not being allowed contractually to make his move to Honda, had caused him to extract some sort of revenge.
House Search at Fort Coughlan
Mike CoughlanHowever, the story took another serious turn on Tuesday morning when Ferrari revealed that Stepney had been sacked.
And, that afternoon brought the stunning news that McLaren were indeed in the loop with a statement from the Woking outfit revealing "senior member of [McLaren's] technical organisation was subject of a Ferrari investigation regarding the receipt of technical information."
McLaren's statement further revealed that this senior staff member "had personally received a package of technical information from a Ferrari employee at the end of April."
McLaren concluded by saying the individual has been suspended by the company, pending a full investigation.
Inevitably there was considerable interest in just who might be involved at Woking, and logic suggested it was someone at McLaren who has worked with Stepney in the past. There was certainly more than one high profile name that fitted that bill.
After that came a statement from Ferrari, which confirmed they have instigated legal proceedings against Stepney and a McLaren employee, in both Italy and England.
It didn't take long for it to emerge that the McLaren man under investigation was chief designer Mike Coughlan.
He worked with Stepney at Benetton and, from 1993 to 1998, at Ferrari - although Coughlan was mostly at John Barnard's Surrey base rather than in Maranello.
On Tuesday, Coughlan's house was visited by the UK police, and apparently Ferrari documents were found there.
Clearly the saga has caused some disruption at Ferrari, but the fact that this affair has now spread to McLaren as well must be big relief to the Maranello team, as some of the negative attention has been diverted.
If, as must now be considered possible, Coughlan does not return to work once the investigation is complete, he will leave a hole in McLaren's staff that has to be filled.
McLaren may have strength in depth, but losing the chief designer in the middle of a title campaign - and just as serious work gets going on the 2008 car - is not exactly ideal.
Inevitably, too, some would also be very happy for the fans to draw the conclusion that McLaren's turnaround in form after Spain was in some way related to the information that was passed on, although clearly there is no evidence that this is the case.
Indeed, it remains unknown if the alleged information was actually used by Coughlan in an attempt to benefit McLaren, or if indeed it was of any value to a team running a completely different car.
The other possibility is that the information pertained to something that Ferrari were doing that was of potential interest to McLaren - advanced wing design and flexing bodywork, for example.
The Gathering Storm
Ferrari interestingly made a point of ending their statement on Tuesday by saying the team "reserve the right to consider all implications, be they criminal, civil or of any other nature, according to the applicable laws." (emphasis added)
The last time Ferrari made a similar threat was in 2003, after the FIA found the tread width of Michelin tyres to be outside the legal width - following a protest by Ferrari. Back then, Ferrari also "reserved the right" to challenge race results after the season was over, should they deem it necessary.
Ferrari never pursued legal action in 2003 - the team, after all, won both titles that season - but Maranello's suggestion that some teams may not have won fairly was made very clear.
This time around, McLaren were unequivocal in their Tuesday statement that 'Stepneygate' involves one individual in the team, and not McLaren.
"Whilst McLaren has no involvement in the matter and condemns such actions, we will fully cooperate with any investigation," the team said, and there is no reason to question this. Ron Dennis may have his critics, but his integrity has never been at doubt.
Either way, though, this really is a sorry saga that will overshadow the British team's widely anticipated homecoming Grand Prix at Silverstone this weekend.
It's also unclear how all this affects Ross Brawn and any plans he has to return to Maranello.
The former technical director is very close to Stepney, but on the other hand he is a Ferrari man to the core, and if there has been any wrongdoing, one presumes he will side with the team.
So now we wait to find out not only what Stepney has to say when he returns to Europe, but also what happens at McLaren.
It remains to be seen what the FIA, too, will do - if at all - in this affair, and what are the legal implications for Stepney, Coughlan, Ferrari and McLaren.
Recently, two former Ferrari employees were found guilty of stealing Ferrari secrets and taking them to Toyota - although the Japanese outfit was not directly implicated in the case.
And, considering that that affair took four years to reach its court resolution, it's safe to say that 'Stepneygate' has only just begun.
'Stepneygate' has sent shock waves through Formula One in recent days, and Tuesday's news that a senior McLaren employee is involved in obtaining stolen documents belonging to Ferrari has added yet another dimension to the story.
Ferrari and McLaren have had a highly charged rivalry for three decades now, but this latest episode is perhaps the strangest yet.
The 'Dream Team' Disbanded
Nigel Stepney at the 2006 Japanese Grand PrixNigel Stepney began his motorsport career in the 1970s, when he worked for the Broadspeed touring car team, before moving through stints at Shadow and Lotus - where he worked with Ayrton Senna.
From 1988 to 1992 he was at Benetton as chief mechanic. He earned a reputation as a good organiser who paid attention to detail and kept the troops in line. That was just what Ferrari needed when he was head-hunted by former Benetton colleague John Barnard in 1993, shortly before Jean Todt joined the Italian team.
He knew Michael Schumacher, Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne in his time at Benetton, so when they came to Maranello in 1996 and 1997, it was a reuniting of the old gang.
Through the Schumacher glory years, Stepney received a lot of the credit for getting the team on track, especially in terms of reliability and improved preparation. He also became better known after Schumacher ran him over during a pitstop in the 2000 Spanish Grand Prix; after that incident, he gave the lollipop job to someone else...
His job title changed from that of chief mechanic to that of race technical manager. He was clearly a key part of the 'Dream Team', and indeed on occasion he went on to the podium to represent Ferrari and pick up the constructors' trophy.
There was no reason to suspect he was anything but very happy at Ferrari until some time last year, when in conversation he casually mentioned that he was hoping to switch to a factory-based job in 2008.
Schumacher was about to announce his retirement, and Brawn was going on a sabbatical. Like them, Stepney used up a lot of energy through those championship-chasing years, and presumably he quite liked the idea of slowing down, thinking about new challenges.
But he also made it clear that with Schumacher not driving, and even more importantly with Brawn gone, the team would no longer be the same. In essence, he wasn't too happy about being involved in something that potentially was going to go downhill with a new regime in charge.
In fact, Stepney had quite a colourful way of expressing his feeling at the time, and his candour was quite surprising.
Then, during the winter, Stepney made his feeling publicly known in an interview with Autosport magazine, much to Ferrari's displeasure.
House Search at Casa Stepney
By the time Formula One arrived at Melbourne for the opening race of the season, there was no sign of Stepney, whose new factory role was head of team performance development.
This followed by rumours that Stepney was contemplating a move to Honda - entirely logical, considering he is a Briton who presumably always fancied moving back home (throughout his Ferrari years, Brawn always maintained a double life, with a house in the UK). With Brawn's name also linked to Honda, it seemed plausible that both men could end up there.
Then, a couple of weeks ago, came the bombshell news that Stepney was under criminal investigation in Italy, following action taken by Ferrari, and that he had 'disappeared' abroad.
All sorts of mixed messages came out in the days that followed. Key among them was talk of a white powder being found in or around the Ferrari F2007 fuel tank before the Monaco Grand Prix, and the suggestion therefore Stepney tried to sabotage the cars.
The police duly raided the Briton's house in Italy, and it was reported that they had taken away a canister, which we could only presume was related to the aforementioned white powder.
Things took a different turn on June 24, when the Sunday Times reported Stepney's view. Journalist Jane Nottage, who knows Stepney well and has written an officially sanctioned book about the inner workings of Ferrari, called him in the Philippines, where he was holidaying with his girlfriend and their child.
"I have confidence that I'll be cleared by the legal process that is now taking place," he told her. "It is just part of a dirty tricks campaign and everything is in the hands of my lawyer, so we'll wait and see what happens.
"I am on a planned holiday with Ash and our baby. Why would anyone say I am not contactable? I booked the flights through the Ferrari travel office. They know where I am."
In a further twist, a Ferrari spokesman told autosport.com at Magny-Cours last weekend that this last statement was not true, and indeed, Stepney was not even on an official leave.
Meanwhile, the rumours continued to fly around, and bits of information come out in dribs and drabs. I've been told that the police officers who visited Casa Nigel didn't just recover that canister, but other items of interest, reportedly including a couple of steering wheels that should not have been there.
Sources have also suggested that Stepney was allegedly seen behaving suspiciously around the cars in the factory at a time when he thought he was alone, and/or that there is incriminating CCTV footage.
In addition to the white powder business, there were also rumours of some form of industrial espionage.
It seemed obvious to assume that any such behaviour might involve a potential future employer such as Honda, but there was a whisper last weekend that McLaren were the recipient.
Sabotaging the cars, helping McLaren by passing on secrets... The story got weirder and weirder. What was Stepney supposedly up to?
The only conclusion a casual observer could make was that some internal strife at Maranello, possibly involving Stepney not being allowed contractually to make his move to Honda, had caused him to extract some sort of revenge.
House Search at Fort Coughlan
Mike CoughlanHowever, the story took another serious turn on Tuesday morning when Ferrari revealed that Stepney had been sacked.
And, that afternoon brought the stunning news that McLaren were indeed in the loop with a statement from the Woking outfit revealing "senior member of [McLaren's] technical organisation was subject of a Ferrari investigation regarding the receipt of technical information."
McLaren's statement further revealed that this senior staff member "had personally received a package of technical information from a Ferrari employee at the end of April."
McLaren concluded by saying the individual has been suspended by the company, pending a full investigation.
Inevitably there was considerable interest in just who might be involved at Woking, and logic suggested it was someone at McLaren who has worked with Stepney in the past. There was certainly more than one high profile name that fitted that bill.
After that came a statement from Ferrari, which confirmed they have instigated legal proceedings against Stepney and a McLaren employee, in both Italy and England.
It didn't take long for it to emerge that the McLaren man under investigation was chief designer Mike Coughlan.
He worked with Stepney at Benetton and, from 1993 to 1998, at Ferrari - although Coughlan was mostly at John Barnard's Surrey base rather than in Maranello.
On Tuesday, Coughlan's house was visited by the UK police, and apparently Ferrari documents were found there.
Clearly the saga has caused some disruption at Ferrari, but the fact that this affair has now spread to McLaren as well must be big relief to the Maranello team, as some of the negative attention has been diverted.
If, as must now be considered possible, Coughlan does not return to work once the investigation is complete, he will leave a hole in McLaren's staff that has to be filled.
McLaren may have strength in depth, but losing the chief designer in the middle of a title campaign - and just as serious work gets going on the 2008 car - is not exactly ideal.
Inevitably, too, some would also be very happy for the fans to draw the conclusion that McLaren's turnaround in form after Spain was in some way related to the information that was passed on, although clearly there is no evidence that this is the case.
Indeed, it remains unknown if the alleged information was actually used by Coughlan in an attempt to benefit McLaren, or if indeed it was of any value to a team running a completely different car.
The other possibility is that the information pertained to something that Ferrari were doing that was of potential interest to McLaren - advanced wing design and flexing bodywork, for example.
The Gathering Storm
Ferrari interestingly made a point of ending their statement on Tuesday by saying the team "reserve the right to consider all implications, be they criminal, civil or of any other nature, according to the applicable laws." (emphasis added)
The last time Ferrari made a similar threat was in 2003, after the FIA found the tread width of Michelin tyres to be outside the legal width - following a protest by Ferrari. Back then, Ferrari also "reserved the right" to challenge race results after the season was over, should they deem it necessary.
Ferrari never pursued legal action in 2003 - the team, after all, won both titles that season - but Maranello's suggestion that some teams may not have won fairly was made very clear.
This time around, McLaren were unequivocal in their Tuesday statement that 'Stepneygate' involves one individual in the team, and not McLaren.
"Whilst McLaren has no involvement in the matter and condemns such actions, we will fully cooperate with any investigation," the team said, and there is no reason to question this. Ron Dennis may have his critics, but his integrity has never been at doubt.
Either way, though, this really is a sorry saga that will overshadow the British team's widely anticipated homecoming Grand Prix at Silverstone this weekend.
It's also unclear how all this affects Ross Brawn and any plans he has to return to Maranello.
The former technical director is very close to Stepney, but on the other hand he is a Ferrari man to the core, and if there has been any wrongdoing, one presumes he will side with the team.
So now we wait to find out not only what Stepney has to say when he returns to Europe, but also what happens at McLaren.
It remains to be seen what the FIA, too, will do - if at all - in this affair, and what are the legal implications for Stepney, Coughlan, Ferrari and McLaren.
Recently, two former Ferrari employees were found guilty of stealing Ferrari secrets and taking them to Toyota - although the Japanese outfit was not directly implicated in the case.
And, considering that that affair took four years to reach its court resolution, it's safe to say that 'Stepneygate' has only just begun.
07-05-2007, 11:58 AM
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Non-F1 source tipped off Ferrari
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, July 5th 2007, 12:23 GMT
Ferrari have revealed that they were tipped off about McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan possibly having Ferrari documents by someone outside of Formula One.
In a statement issued by the Maranello outfit on Thursday, Ferrari confirmed that the team swung into action after receiving the information, and began legal proceedings through the London High Court.
The Italian squad, who on Tuesday said that "a search was carried out of the (McLaren) engineer's house", clarified on Thursday that British police had not yet been involved in the investigation.
The statement said: "Ferrari wishes to clarify that the English police have so far not been involved in investigating the theft of technical information.
"It was brought to Ferrari's attention by a third party outside Formula One racing within the last fortnight, that a senior member of the technical staff within the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team might be in possession of highly sensitive Ferrari information.
"Ferrari reviewed the evidence and consulted London lawyers towards the end of last week. Ferrari then made an urgent application to the High Court in London on 2 July for the court's assistance.
"As is usual with this kind of court order, Ferrari is currently prevented by the court from making any public statement about the information that it gained as a result of serving the court order.
"At the same time, an investigation is being carried out into the same subject by the Modena Court, therefore no further comment will be forthcoming, in order to respect the legal process in both countries."
Ferrari have revealed that they were tipped off about McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan possibly having Ferrari documents by someone outside of Formula One.
In a statement issued by the Maranello outfit on Thursday, Ferrari confirmed that the team swung into action after receiving the information, and began legal proceedings through the London High Court.
The Italian squad, who on Tuesday said that "a search was carried out of the (McLaren) engineer's house", clarified on Thursday that British police had not yet been involved in the investigation.
The statement said: "Ferrari wishes to clarify that the English police have so far not been involved in investigating the theft of technical information.
"It was brought to Ferrari's attention by a third party outside Formula One racing within the last fortnight, that a senior member of the technical staff within the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team might be in possession of highly sensitive Ferrari information.
"Ferrari reviewed the evidence and consulted London lawyers towards the end of last week. Ferrari then made an urgent application to the High Court in London on 2 July for the court's assistance.
"As is usual with this kind of court order, Ferrari is currently prevented by the court from making any public statement about the information that it gained as a result of serving the court order.
"At the same time, an investigation is being carried out into the same subject by the Modena Court, therefore no further comment will be forthcoming, in order to respect the legal process in both countries."
07-05-2007, 10:49 PM
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Dennis: McLaren have done nothing wrong
By Jonathan Noble Thursday, July 5th 2007, 16:59 GMT
An emotional Ron Dennis insisted on Thursday that his McLaren team would never act 'incorrectly', as he predicted them to be cleared of any wrongdoing in the spy investigation surrounding chief designer Mike Coughlan.
In the wake of Coughlan facing a legal investigation about Ferrari documents allegedly found in his position, Dennis said his team were ready to prove they were not involved in Coughlan's actions.
Clearly upset that his own team's uprightness had been called into question over the matter, Dennis fought back the tears at the opening of his new Brand Centre motorhome to state that he would never sanction any illegal activities.
"I live and breath this team," said Dennis before taking a lengthy pause and composing himself. "And there is no way anything incorrect would ever happen in our team. Thanks."
McLaren have suspended Coughlan after Ferrari began their legal action earlier this week. The team have also made it clear that there is no intellectual property owned by Ferrari that features on their McLaren car.
Dennis, a man who prides himself on his honesty, made it clear that the events of the past week had not been easy for him to deal with.
"It has been a difficult two or three days, especially for me," said Dennis. "My personal integrity is very important to me and my company's integrity is even more important to me. The press releases we have put out really say everything.
"We are in a process. We are working closely with the FIA and closely with Ferrari.
"This matter does not involve our company. Of course, that is not the way understandably everybody sees it at the moment. Some of you (the media) have been very supportive of McLaren, I think some of you have been a little harsh on McLaren.
"But I understand depending which country you are in, and depending on the information you have available to you, you are going to form opinions."
Dennis was sure that the FIA and Ferrari investigations would clear his team of having done anything wrong.
"I am absolutely confident that with the passing of time, and it is a little difficult to put any timing on it, you will see and the world will understand that McLaren's position is one that is reflective of our statements," he explained.
"We have never to my knowledge, and certainly over the past few months over this period, ever used other people's intellectual property. It is not on our car. I am sure the FIA will confirm that either now or in the future, and that is the key message.
"We are both ourselves, the FIA and Ferrari, going through a very careful process. And I have a complete confidence in the outcome. We are (also) completely focused on this week's Grand Prix, an important Grand Prix for us."
An emotional Ron Dennis insisted on Thursday that his McLaren team would never act 'incorrectly', as he predicted them to be cleared of any wrongdoing in the spy investigation surrounding chief designer Mike Coughlan.
In the wake of Coughlan facing a legal investigation about Ferrari documents allegedly found in his position, Dennis said his team were ready to prove they were not involved in Coughlan's actions.
Clearly upset that his own team's uprightness had been called into question over the matter, Dennis fought back the tears at the opening of his new Brand Centre motorhome to state that he would never sanction any illegal activities.
"I live and breath this team," said Dennis before taking a lengthy pause and composing himself. "And there is no way anything incorrect would ever happen in our team. Thanks."
McLaren have suspended Coughlan after Ferrari began their legal action earlier this week. The team have also made it clear that there is no intellectual property owned by Ferrari that features on their McLaren car.
Dennis, a man who prides himself on his honesty, made it clear that the events of the past week had not been easy for him to deal with.
"It has been a difficult two or three days, especially for me," said Dennis. "My personal integrity is very important to me and my company's integrity is even more important to me. The press releases we have put out really say everything.
"We are in a process. We are working closely with the FIA and closely with Ferrari.
"This matter does not involve our company. Of course, that is not the way understandably everybody sees it at the moment. Some of you (the media) have been very supportive of McLaren, I think some of you have been a little harsh on McLaren.
"But I understand depending which country you are in, and depending on the information you have available to you, you are going to form opinions."
Dennis was sure that the FIA and Ferrari investigations would clear his team of having done anything wrong.
"I am absolutely confident that with the passing of time, and it is a little difficult to put any timing on it, you will see and the world will understand that McLaren's position is one that is reflective of our statements," he explained.
"We have never to my knowledge, and certainly over the past few months over this period, ever used other people's intellectual property. It is not on our car. I am sure the FIA will confirm that either now or in the future, and that is the key message.
"We are both ourselves, the FIA and Ferrari, going through a very careful process. And I have a complete confidence in the outcome. We are (also) completely focused on this week's Grand Prix, an important Grand Prix for us."
07-05-2007, 10:54 PM
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So nobody can say right now what the "information" was? I'd have thought if there was enough to involve the italian police then the british police would also be involved.
Kind of Exciting, although I wouldnt put it past Ferrari to do anything they could to discredit Mclaren.
Kind of Exciting, although I wouldnt put it past Ferrari to do anything they could to discredit Mclaren.
07-05-2007, 11:14 PM
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I have tremendous respect for Ferrari, especially the F1 team, but they've always been a win-at-all-costs outfit. I'm sure Ron Dennis and McLaren aren't angels (I don't think you could be as successful as they have without being "creative" with rules and such), but if it comes down to a question of integrity, I'd side with McLaren every time.
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07-06-2007, 12:49 AM
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Hundreds of Ferrari drawings found at designer`s home`
Hundreds of drawings of this year's Ferrari were allegedly found at the home of McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan during a raid on Tuesday.
According to reports, the incriminating evidence was found by private detectives after Ferrari obtained a search warrant through the British courts earlier this week.
McLaren have assured Ferrari that they have not used any of the data, allegedly stolen from their Maranello base, and are believed to have 'worked closely' with the Italian team after being informed that 'a senior member of its technical organisation' had 'personally received a package of technical information from a Ferrari employee at the end of April'.
Coughlan, who has been suspended by McLaren, has yet to make any comment.
Meanwhile, Nigel Stepney, accused of sabotaging the Ferrari cars ahead of the Monaco GP and also passing on the technical information to Coughlan, is expected to return from holiday later today. The Englishman maintains he is innocent of any wrongdoing.
It was reported in Italy on Wednesday that the mysterious powder found in the fuel tanks of both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa's cars, which first prompted the internal investigation at Ferrari, has been identified as detergent. However, according to The Daily Telegraph, 'this was later denied by sources close to the investigation.'
According to reports, the incriminating evidence was found by private detectives after Ferrari obtained a search warrant through the British courts earlier this week.
McLaren have assured Ferrari that they have not used any of the data, allegedly stolen from their Maranello base, and are believed to have 'worked closely' with the Italian team after being informed that 'a senior member of its technical organisation' had 'personally received a package of technical information from a Ferrari employee at the end of April'.
Coughlan, who has been suspended by McLaren, has yet to make any comment.
Meanwhile, Nigel Stepney, accused of sabotaging the Ferrari cars ahead of the Monaco GP and also passing on the technical information to Coughlan, is expected to return from holiday later today. The Englishman maintains he is innocent of any wrongdoing.
It was reported in Italy on Wednesday that the mysterious powder found in the fuel tanks of both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa's cars, which first prompted the internal investigation at Ferrari, has been identified as detergent. However, according to The Daily Telegraph, 'this was later denied by sources close to the investigation.'
07-06-2007, 03:35 AM
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White powder in fuel tanks, sabatoge, design secrets being passed along, private detectives, raids, Stepney gone and no one can reach him. Reminds me of a good episode of Hogan's Heros. Damn, this is a great season 
07-06-2007, 07:38 AM
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Private detectives executing search warrants???????? I think you will find a different process was involved.
There is no such thing as a British Court - English or Scottish, the law is different. American law derives much of its basis from English law, not Scottish law. We are all mystified by the way the law is administered in Continental Europe, however. There is no place in English law for crusading prosecutors. Italian prosecutors have been known to persue strange addendae.
A balanced reaction to what is being 'revealed' would be to laugh about it, not take it seriously, none of it matters. its sport, in three months it will all be completely irrelevant.
R+C
There is no such thing as a British Court - English or Scottish, the law is different. American law derives much of its basis from English law, not Scottish law. We are all mystified by the way the law is administered in Continental Europe, however. There is no place in English law for crusading prosecutors. Italian prosecutors have been known to persue strange addendae.
A balanced reaction to what is being 'revealed' would be to laugh about it, not take it seriously, none of it matters. its sport, in three months it will all be completely irrelevant.
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07-06-2007, 09:30 AM
#12
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In British Law (and in ours) there is an order called an Anton Piller order - which enables private investigators to do the search - it is often used by corporates when they believe a competitor may have unauthorised documentation of theirs - I have had my (company) premisies searched because one of our cometitors (who I now work for...) thought we had documenttion of theirs - which we did - legitimately shared with to us by their customer, so nothing came of it in the end, except 2 days of disruption while the place was searched. I would suspect this is what was carried out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Piller_order for more details if you like
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Piller_order for more details if you like
07-06-2007, 10:40 AM
#14
Formula One Spin Doctor
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I'm just glad to know , i was not responsible in making Ron cry, If lewis wins this weekend will pass like a bad dream ....if massa wins it will continue
07-06-2007, 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by v12man
In British Law (and in ours) there is an order called an Anton Piller order - which enables private investigators to do the search - it is often used by corporates when they believe a competitor may have unauthorised documentation of theirs - I have had my (company) premisies searched because one of our cometitors (who I now work for...) thought we had documenttion of theirs - which we did - legitimately shared with to us by their customer, so nothing came of it in the end, except 2 days of disruption while the place was searched. I would suspect this is what was carried out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Piller_order for more details if you like
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Piller_order for more details if you like
Anton Piller orders are increasingly rare, in part because of their potential for abuse. A supervising solicitor has to oversee the search. The items to be searched for have to be very specifically identified.
It is quite likely that this inspection was carried out under an ex parte order. However, Ferrari has considerable international experience of successfully applying for Anton Piller orders to prevent the manufacture and distribution of unauthorised branded goods.
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