Stepneygate: McLaren stripped of all points, fined $100M

[blue8]

Analysis: the remarkable Stepneygate saga (Autosport F1)

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 or 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 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 inthe 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. For all his shortcomings, Ron Dennis's 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 direct 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.

And, considering that that affair took four years to reach its court resolution, it's safe to say that 'Stepneygate' has only just begun.

Additional reporting by Biranit Goren

[graywolf624]

It certainly is getting interesting. Time will tell where it goes.

[nejcdolinsek]

Its sad how the behind the scenes action in F1 is more exciting than the racing itself :roll:

[blue8]

McLaren charged over Stepneygate

McLaren bosses have been summoned by world motorsport's governing body, the FIA, to account for their actions in the ongoing Stepneygate scandal.

In a statement, the FIA confirmed: 'Representatives of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes have been requested to appear before an extraordinary meeting of the FIA world motor sport council in Paris on July 26.

'The team representatives have been called to answer a charge that between March and July 2007, in breach of Article 151c of the international sporting code, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes had unauthorised possession of documents and confidential information belonging to Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, including information that could be used to design, engineer, build, check, test, develop and/or run a 2007 Ferrari formula one car.'

Despite confirming that they had suspended a 'senior technical member of its technical organisation', now known to be designer Mike Coughlan, after 'this individual had personally received a package of technical information from a Ferrari employee at the end of April', McLaren have steadfastly denied any wrongdoing in the scandal.

"There is no intellectual property of another grand prix team on our cars, nor will there be, nor has there ever been," Ron Dennis declared at Silverstone.

"My own integrity is woven into the fabric of our company and I am now, having supervised a very detailed investigation within our own organisation, able to say that with absolute certainty that as this unfolds over the next few days, people will clearly understand all the facts behind what has been a difficult experience for McLaren."

In a statement released last week, the team announced that 'a thorough investigation' had found that 'no Ferrari intellectual property has been passed to any other members of the team or incorporated into its cars.'

Such was their confidence in their innocence, McLaren 'invited the FIA to conduct a full review of its cars to satisfy itself that the team has not benefited from any intellectual property of another competitor.'

Whilst the court summons would apparently indicate that the FIA have accepted that invitation, it is thought that the focus of their enquiry will be the question of when - and how - Jonathan Neale, their managing director, first became aware that Coughlan had the Ferrari documents in his possession.

Should the team be found guilty of breaching the sporting code, a whole host of potential punishments are at the FIA's disposal - including stringent points penalties that could wreck the World Championship ambitions of both Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

Coughlan himself has refused to comment publicly on the crisis, but, after a court hearing in London this week, agreed to provide a sworn statements revealing how he obtained 780 pages of Ferrari technical information.

[blue8]

McLaren have escaped being penalised by the FIA after Thursday's hearing ruled that there was insufficient evidence to suggest the team made use of stolen Ferrari secrets.

McLaren appeared before the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Thursday having been charged with 'fraudulent conduct' and having 'unauthorised possession of documents and confidential information belonging to Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro.'

And although the World Motor Sport Council found the Woking team guilty of possession of unauthorised Ferrari documents, they said there was no evidence that McLaren had used that information.

The team therefore escaped penalty but were warned that should further information come to light they could be charged again and would face severe penalties, including exclusion from the World Championship.

"The WMSC is satisfied that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes was in possession of confidential Ferrari information and is therefore in breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code," said the FIA in a statement.

"However, there is insufficient evidence that this information was used in such a way as to interfere improperly with the FIA Formula One World Championship. We therefore impose no penalty.

"But if it is found in the future that the Ferrari information has been used to the detriment of the championship, we reserve the right to invite Vodafone McLaren Mercedes back in front of the WMSC where it will face the possibility of exclusion from not only the 2007 Championship but also the 2008 Championship."

[bmagni]

total BS. though they leave the case open for a penalty if they find more evidence, this is BS. You break the rules you go out unpunished, I'm so sick of that. I just hope Ferrari beats McL on track.

[RC45]

waa waa waa - typcal Ferrari whining. Goes on year in and year out. ;)

[bmagni]

waa waa waa - typcal Ferrari whining. Goes on year in and year out. ;)

lol. its not whinning... i wonder what would you say if Ferrari had papers that belonged to GM, you've already started commenting about the delphi suspension :roll:

[RC45]

waa waa waa - typcal Ferrari whining. Goes on year in and year out. ;)

lol. its not whinning... i wonder what would you say if Ferrari had papers that belonged to GM, you've already started commenting about the delphi suspension :roll:

waa waa waaaaa - Ferrari has only ever been competitive in racing where the FIA has changed the rules based on Ferrari begging and whining. :)

waaa waaaaaa waaaaaa

If criminal courts and civil courts have not awarded fines, prison sentences or judgements then it is all whining and crying :)

waaaa waaaaa waaaa

[pagani]

waa waa waa - typcal Ferrari whining. Goes on year in and year out. ;)
Maby thats the real reason i never will support the ferrari f1 team.
:lol: :lol:

[bmagni]

waa waa waa - typcal Ferrari whining. Goes on year in and year out. ;)

lol. its not whinning... i wonder what would you say if Ferrari had papers that belonged to GM, you've already started commenting about the delphi suspension :roll:

waa waa waaaaa - Ferrari has only ever been competitive in racing where the FIA has changed the rules based on Ferrari begging and whining.

or all anti-Ferrari are the ones who whine...


If criminal courts and civil courts have not awarded fines, prison sentences or judgements then it is all whining and crying :)

waaaa waaaaa waaaa

:rofl: you'd better think again and rephrase that, cause if you think like that in this you apply it for everything...

[Mattk]

waa waa waa - typcal Ferrari whining. Goes on year in and year out.

If indeed, Stepney did give McLaren some Ferrari secrets, then that is a serious breach of trust and very unethical behaviour. This could get nasty.

[bmagni]

waa waa waa - typcal Ferrari whining. Goes on year in and year out.

If indeed, Stepney did give McLaren some Ferrari secrets, then that is a serious breach of trust and very unethical behaviour. This could get nasty.

hmmm, the resolution was given today, McLooter Mercedes is guilty of breaching article 151c of the International Sporting Code, but apparently thats not enough to punish them...

[blue8]

^and Ferrari is REALLY pissed about it. I'm afraid this is only the start. We're sure to hear more about this. I'm obviously a Ferrari fan but personally I think that the possession of top-secret documents by a rival team, whether it was used or not, is unlawful. However, I don't want McLaren expelled from the season nor do I want it to affect the current Championship standings. Even if a McLaren punishment seems like the only way Ferrari could win this year(given their poor reliability), I'd rather not have it.

[blue8]

Max Mosley re-opens the McLaren spy case:
FIA President Max Mosley on Tuesday agreed to send the espionage case against McLaren to the governing body's Court of Appeal.

Following the written request of Ferrari's national sanctioning organisation, the Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI), Mosley said it was right to further investigate the case because Ferrari had not been allowed to present evidence in last Thursday's hearing of the World Motor Sport Council.

McLaren in Paris was found to be in breach of clause 151c of the International Sporting Code but was not penalised, which in ACI president Luigi Macaluso's view is 'quite difficult to justify'.

He claimed that 'several top team representatives' of McLaren knew about chief designer Mike Coughlan's espionage activities over several months, but that Ferrari had been unable to counter McLaren's defence that no employee besides Coughlan knew about the 780-pages of secret information.


In a written reply to Macaluso, who after the Paris hearing had also verbally questioned the FIA's decision, Mosley said probing the matter further was also important for 'public confidence in the outcome'.

He wrote: "I will send this matter to the FIA Court of Appeal ... with a request that the Court hear both Ferrari and McLaren and any other Championship competitor who so requests and determine whether the decision of the WMSC was appropriate and, if not substitute such other decision as may be just."

[RC45]

waaa waaa waaaa

We can only hope this bit of whining and crying is the beginning of the end of Formula 1.

The entire series and leadership needs to be cleansed.

F1 is currently the worst form of motor sport on the planet - this from someone who used to love F1 and would watch every race.

I would rather watch a 500 mile NASCAR race or a British Formula Ford league race than sit through one Formula 1 race. (and I dislike Formula Ford and NASCAR immensely)

Formula 1 should be remodeled after Australian V8 Supercars or some other exciting series. But this procession of primadonnas is mind numbing.

[nthfinity]

screw F1

Bring back Group C

[Mattk]

I agree with RC, partially. I don't think this spells the end of F1, because it evidently hasn't turned out to be that serious. But, I grew up on V8 Supercars back before it was even called that (I think it was the Australian Touring Car Championships, or something equally mundane), and it's definitely better than F1. At least there's more overtaking. F1 has become less about racing, and more about race strategy and technological development. I still like F1 a lot, and I obviously still follow it, but it has lost its lustre over the past few years. Nobody even cares about Mark Webber, here, anymore. Will Power in the ChampCar series gets more publicity.

[blue8]

I know that this issue has been very disappointing for people but just to keep you updated:
Letter of Ron Dennis to Max Mosley and Luigi Macaluso:
http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_2636745,00.html

Macaluso's response to Dennis
http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_2638316,00.html

Honestly though, I didn't read any of it :P One thing to point out is that Dennis claims that Stepney informed McLaren of the illegal floor device. Of course, Stepney denies it
This might go on even long after the season :roll:

[graywolf624]

Honestly though, I didn't read any of it One thing to point out is that Dennis claims that Stepney informed McLaren of the illegal floor device. Of course, Stepney denies it
This might go on even long after the season
Even if he did thats still wrong.. You dont inform the competitor of an illegal device.. You inform the sanctioning body.
They were wrong, and theres no political excuses that change that.

[blue8]

Flavio Briatore wants McLaren excluded:
Renault boss Flavio Briatore has called for McLaren to be excluded from the Formula One world championship over their part in the spy scandal that has rocked the sport.

McLaren have repeatedly denied that they gained any advantage from sacked Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney providing them with 780 pages of confidential Ferrari information. Last week a World Motorsport Council hearing found it could not be proven that McLaren had benefited from the dossier leaked to them and consequently enforced no penalty on the British team.

But speaking to Italian media here, Briatore criticised that decision and even suggested that McLaren had knowledge of Ferrari data earlier than March this year, the widely accepted start date of the 'Stepney affair'.

Briatore points at McLaren's smooth transition from Michelin tyres to Bridgestone, a change that has caused his own team no end of trouble.

"Last winter, I was saying how lucky McLaren are to be immediately that quick on Bridgestone tyres," Briatore said. "I'm a lucky guy, so it's okay for other people to be as well. We, on the other hand, were in full crisis mode: Michelin's retirement turned out to be a disaster for Renault.
Cliquez ici...
"

"It's evident that they (McLaren) had the data on the weight distribution by Ferrari, who used Bridgestone tyres for almost ten years. That page in the famous stolen dossier would have been enough to save months of work and to find the solution immediately."

Briatore considers Renault an 'injured party' in the spy case that he believes has tainted the 2007 season.

"Yes, and not just for us and Ferrari, but for everyone else. Here is a team that acquired an advantage illegally," he added.

The Italian was just as forthright when asked what sanctions should be taken against McLaren.

"Just read the regulations: for intellectual property theft the punishment is exclusion," he advised.

This week Ferrari has been granted an appeal against the World Motorsport Council ruling. Their case will be heard by the FIA Court of Appeal, most probably at the end of this month in Paris.

[blue8]

New Evidence:
The espionage saga involving McLaren and Ferrari took a fresh turn on Wednesday.

F1's governing body revealed in a statement that it has received 'new evidence' and had therefore decided to convene another hearing of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris.

The meeting will happen on September 13th, in the place of an appeal of the original July 26th decision to not penalise Ron Dennis' Woking based team for spying on its Italian rivals.

"The FIA President's referral of the matter to the International Court of Appeal has been withdrawn," the FIA said in a statement on Wednesday.

The governing body also said McLaren representatives had been invited to attend the new meeting, but made no mention of Ferrari.

Due to 'insufficient evidence' in July, the World Motor Sport Council found Woking based McLaren guilty of breaching the International Sporting Code but could not prove that the confidential Ferrari data had been improperly used.

The FIA also said in July that the team faced exclusion from the 2007 and 2008 championships if it is 'found in the future that the Ferrari information has been used.
'

FIA Statement

"Following the receipt of new evidence the World Motor Sport Council has been reconvened for a hearing in Paris on September 13th.

"In accordance with its decision of July 26th representatives of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes have been invited to attend the hearing.

"The FIA President’s referral of the matter to the International Court of Appeal has been withdrawn."

McLaren Mercedes Statement

"McLaren Racing has been made aware that new evidence has been presented to the FIA as part of their on-going investigation.

"As a result we have been informed that the Court of Appeal Hearing scheduled for the 13th September in Paris will now comprise a meeting of the WMSC.

"McLaren will continue to co-operate fully with the FIA."

[bmagni]

I just hope they're penalized... but I don't want the season to be boring because of that. I want Ferrari to beat them on track.

[bmagni]

According to Auto Motor und Sport, the new evidence is that Pedro de la Rosa informed Alstronzo via email about the possesion of the documents just after the season had begun. And that when the Alstronzo-McLaren relatios started to deteriorate he even thought to accuse McLaren with FIA so that he got his contract cancelled.
Serious allegations by the German mag

[blue8]

Formal request to drivers from Max Mosley
FIA President Max Mosley has requested the McLaren drivers to come forward with any information they might have regarding the spy scandal investigation. Following its release to the media, we have reproduced his letter below.

31 August 2007

Dear Mr De La Rosa

As you will be aware, the FIA has recently investigated whether, how and to what extent McLaren was in possession of confidential Ferrari technical information. The FIA has subsequently been made aware of an allegation that one or more McLaren drivers may be in possession, or that such drivers have recently been in possession, of written evidence relevant to this investigation.

In the interests of the sport and the Championship it is important that the FIA as the regulator establishes unequivocally and rapidly whether or not this allegation has any basis in fact.

The FIA therefore formally requests that you produce copies of any relevant documents which may be in your possession or power of procurement and which may be relevant to this case. For these purposes "documents" includes all written materials such as emails, letters, electronic communications, text messages, notes, memoranda, drawings, diagrams, data, or other material, stored in any physical, "hard copy" or electronic form.

In particular (though without limiting the generality of this request), the FIA wishes to receive copies of any electronic communications (howsoever conveyed or stored) which may be relevant to this case and which make reference to Ferrari, Nigel Stepney or any technical or other information coming from or connected with either Ferrari or Mr Stepney.

In the event that you are aware of the existence or previous existence of any document falling within the above description but are not in a position to produce it, please describe the content of the document in question, the circumstances under which it came to your knowledge and the reasons why you are unable to produce it.

In the event that you are unsure as to whether any document falls within the above description, kindly submit it (or a description of it) and the FIA will assist in making a determination. You will appreciate that there is a duty on all competitors and Super Licence holders to ensure the fairness and legitimacy of the Formula One World Championship.

It is therefore imperative that if you do have any such information, you make it available to us without delay. I can confirm, given the importance of this issue, that any information you may make available in response to this letter will not result in any proceedings against you under the International Sporting Code or the Formula One regulations. However, in the event that it later comes to light that you have withheld any potentially relevant information, serious consequences could follow.

We are sending identical letters to Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. Thank you very much for your co-operation.

Yours sincerely

Max Mosley

[blue8]

In another dramatic twist in the Stepneygate saga, McLaren have requested that the FIA scrutinise certain matters pertaining to their rivals Renault.

The hypothesis swirling around the paddock is that McLaren's opening gambit at the Paris spy hearing will be to implicate other teams.

In a pre-emptive strike Renault team principal Flavio Briatore told the Italian media that there was no problem with his team, despite a rumour that Renault were about to be dragged into the affair.

The nature of McLaren's complaint regarding the French team has not been disclosed. It is not thought to relate to the spying controversy, although sources have mooted that the focus will be around a technical element on Renault's R27 challenger.

F1's governing body confirmed that McLaren's legal representatives had approached them about the Renault matter.

However, the FIA have moved quickly to counter the McLaren strategy, by reiterating that the matters pertaining to the Enstone-based team will have no relevance to the World Motor Sport Council meeting this Thursday.

An FIA spokesman told Autosport: "We have noted the speculation and we can confirm that McLaren lawyers have recently brought to our attention certain matters regarding Renault F1.

"But we can also confirm that the team (Renault) does not form any part of our investigations into McLaren's alleged breach of Article 151C of the International Sporting Code.

"The FIA has reminded McLaren that the World Council hearing in Paris on Thursday will focus solely on the new evidence in that investigation.

"To the extent required, any other matters will be dealt with as part of an entirely separate process. Renault F1 are aware of this and are happy to cooperate fully."

[yg60m]

Maybe Renault will do the same but with ... Ferrari :P

[RAMMIUS]

Cheap move from McCheaters to try and divert the attention from their own scandal.

But of course Renault is cheating, I mean look at their race pace :mrgreen:

[gangajas]

Really funny explanation of the Stepneygate :D

http://www.elpais.com/graficos/deportes/trama/espionaje/McLaren/-/Ferrari/elpgradep/20070913elpepudep_1/Ges/

[RAMMIUS]

the comitee is still "thinking"



Maybe Bernie is on the phone with them :mrgreen:

[RAMMIUS]

They should be fucked

http://www.planetf1.com/story/0,18954,3213_2725983,00.html


Initially McCheatres said (LOUD AND CLEAR) that nobody besides Coughlan knew about the material.

Now Coughlan gives names, talks about shown drawings and so on.

What`s next ? Are they gonna tell us that they copied only half of Ferrari and that means they didn`t benefit from the material ?

[5vz-fe]

"I looked at the papers given to me by Stepney on only a few occasions," he stated. "Certainly the time I spent looking at them in total between receiving them and the search at my house on July 3rd was no more than one to two hours.

Wow, I thought I suck at lying. If the document is not that useful, just put it in the shredder. They are full of shit

[bmagni]

expelled for 2 years !

[bmagni]

officially. planet-f1.com, gp-update.net

[5vz-fe]

They are fucked 0X

[nthfinity]

McLaren have been excluded from the 2007 and 2008 Formula One World Championships.

The Woking team, who faced the World Motor Sport Council for the second time in Paris today after new evidence came to light, were found guilty of using Ferrari's information in this year's Championship.

And the punishment is their exclusion from this year and next year's World Championships.

More to follow...

I may not be a fan of Macca F1 team.... but this is a freeking HUGE blow to F1 as motorsport.... 2 years... I dono... I dono man. :shock: :| :| :| :|

[blue8]

:!:

[5vz-fe]

Macca will definitely appeal such big punishment

[deuces]

so what happens to the drivers then? i hope alonso is found guilty of something...i can't wait for his career to be over.

[nthfinity]

Macca will definitely appeal such big punishment

I'm beginning to question weather or not the story is fabricated... nothing on F1.com

the story has supposedly been removed from autosport (although they are timing out here)

[bmagni]

planet-f1 has changed the story:

http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_2726626,00.html - note "FIFA" :lol:

[RAMMIUS]

Harsh, but this isn`t only about Macca, it`s a statement for the other teams too, fuck around and this is what you`ll get.

Keep in mind also that McL LIED at the first hearing, I think that added some weight to the final decision too.

[bmagni]

autosport: Clarification: WMSC yet to decide on verdict

By Steve Cooper Thursday, September 13th 2007, 15:09 GMT

The World Motor Sport Council has yet to agree on a final verdict, despite our earlier newsflash suggesting otherwise.

Sources have told autosport.com one of the options currently reviewed is to exclude McLaren from both the 2007 and 2008 championship - in line with the World Motor Sport Council's decision in July.

However the FIA said no decision has yet been made, although a verdict is expected imminently.

gpupdate.net has put a question mark at the end of the headline :lol:

[blue8]

So it's just a proposal for their exclusion...

[bmagni]

booooo:

100 million dollar fine, bye to constructors championship but LH and Alstronzo retain their points.

Gazzetta dello Sport, planet-f1.com

[blue8]

$100M :shock: It's official then, 2007 Constructor is Ferrari.
I'm glad at least that the drivers retain their points and the battle for Drivers Championship would continue

[harryo2b]

Damn cuz! That's a big ass poke in the eye.

[HeilSvenska]

They'd better appeal. Maybe Jackie Stewart is right. Ferrari might be spoon feeding FIA on what to say.

[harryo2b]

CNN news says the new evidence is in relation to an email from Alonso and De Larosa

[blue8]

FIA's statement:
"The WMSC has stripped Vodafone McLaren Mercedes of all constructors' points in the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championshiop an the team can score no point for the remainder of the season *.

"Furthermore, the team will pay a fine equal to 100 million dollar, less the FOM income lost as a result of the points deduction.

"However, due to the exceptional circumstances in which the FIA gave the team's drivers an immunity in return for providing evidence, there is no penalty in regards to drivers' points **.

"The WMSC will receive a full technical report on the 2008 McLaren car and will take a decision at its December 2007 meeting as to what sanction, if any, will be imposed on the team for the 2008 season."

The full reasons for this decision will be issued on the 14th September 2007.

* Points gained by other teams so far this season will not be affected.

** No McLaren representative will be allowed on the podium should a McLaren driver win in any of the remaining races of the 2007 season.

Ferrari's statement:
"Ferrari acknowledges the decision of the FIA to sanction Vodafone McLaren Mercedes for its breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.

"In light of new evidence, facts and behaviour of an extremely serious nature and grossly prejudicial to the interest of the sport have been further demonstrated.

"Ferrari is satisfied that the truth has now emerged."

[sameerrao]

McLaren loses all constructors' points
Thursday, 13, September, 2007, 18:38


The FIA World Motor Sport Council has disqualified McLaren from the 2007 constructors' championship and imposed the largest fine in motorsport history – but Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso can continue to vie for the drivers' crown.


After nine hours of deliberations at the hearing in Paris, the 26-member World Council panel decided to punish the Woking-based team for breaking the sporting regulations through possessing confidential Ferrari data.


But while the decision to exclude McLaren from the constructors' contest hands that title to Ferrari, McLaren's drivers have escaped a penalty.


Hamilton and Alonso's battle for the world championship will therefore continue unaffected in the remaining four rounds.


The fine of $100m (£49.2 million) will be offset against the television income the team would have earned had it been eligible for constructors' points, but is nevertheless unprecedented in its scale.


“The WMSC has stripped Vodafone McLaren Mercedes of all constructor points in the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship and the team can score no points for the remainder of the season," the FIA said in a statement.


“Furthermore, the team will pay a fine equal to $100m, less the FOM income lost as a result of the points deduction.


“However, due to the exceptional circumstances in which the FIA gave the team’s drivers an immunity in return for providing evidence, there is no penalty in regard to drivers’ points."


McLaren will also have to present its 2008 car for examination by the FIA before the start of next season.


“The WMSC will receive a full technical report on the 2008 McLaren car and will take a decision at its December 2007 meeting as to what sanction, if any, will be imposed on the team for the 2008 season,” read the statement.


The FIA added that no McLaren representatives will be allowed on the podium should one of its drivers win any of the season's remaining races.


And it said the full reasons for the verdict will be issued tomorrow (Friday).

Boy this morning was a like a feeding freezy in the shark pool with lots of news sites reporting all kinds of exclusions.

Looks like Hamilton and Alo_nso escaped penalties.

Mclaren may be spared in 2008 but they could face long term sponsor withdrawal - those in a short term agreement may switch over to Ferrari or someone else. So financially it is a big blow - the fine is about 25-30% of their entire annual budget. Wonder which McLaren shareholder will make up the difference - Mansour Ojjeh and Ron Dennis are on small stakes while Mumtalakat and Mercedes may be persuaded to pony up the difference. But they may put it all on Ron Dennis to make it up.

Hope this doesn't result in any job loss for the race engineers and other innocent employees.

Mike Coughlin better emigrate from England - I am sure there would be hordes of McLaren fans baying for his blood. Likewise Stepney. Maybe both could be sent to Alcatraz. Shame that two greedy individuals started a chain of events that put a taint to the season results. :roll:

[deuces]

i just don't understand how they can overlook the emails between de larosa and alonso, they say the drivers provided evidence, but alonso wasn't even there. it makes sense for hamilton to be immune, but alonso...it sounds like he was involved in the cheating himself...doesn't make sense to me

[yg60m]

That's quite a choc ! I was sure they wouldn't dare to make it :| I fear it will have important consequences ... maybe they will retire from F1

[Bizi Jones]

so has anyone stated why Macca got shafted like that...I know they violated Article 151c but what was the specific evidence that determined the FIA verdict? Dennis say nothing had been proven, so what gives?

[bmagni]

What I don't get is that LH and Alstronzo got no penalties... why? they raced, won and scored points in a illegal car.

[saadie]

^^ yeah ... as if the drivers were not aware of the situation atall ...
now it seems like all the fuss happening between hamilton and alonso was fabricated to cover up this story :lol: .... :?:

[5vz-fe]

It is so funny that Ron is still denying the use of any Ferrari info and believe that they should not be punished in any form.

I wonder what would happen if the situation is the other way around.

[blue8]

It was beyond the drivers' control... and besides taking away their points would completely spoil the season :?

[HeilSvenska]

Sigh. If McLaren knew this was going to happen (if they did use the secret documents in the first place), they should've spread the Ferrari specs to all the teams, banning all the teams from the 2007 season. That's what Ferrari would've wanted anyway. :roll:

Let's bring on the appeals.

[nthfinity]

I can't help but notice the Macca flex-wing that is soooo similar to Ferrari's... but then again, maybe unrelated? I'm not into F1 like I was last year

[acmarttin]

Exactly my thoughts. They have taken advantage of the cheat, driving an illegally faster car, so they should be punished like the team has been.

Apparently there has been some sort of immunity for the drivers... :hmm: :roll:

Immunity for providing all evidence they had related to the case, according to f1.com

I'm curious now how this is going to affect the next race.

[StanAE86]

I tried a search, but don't regularly visit this section, but it's hot off the presses. Sorry if it's a Stan.

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=40651

[5vz-fe]

Well, you guessed it.

[ferrari550]

personally I think if the points are being take from them, then the cars should not be allowed to race and thats that.

they are being punished for potentially used illegal info, well that info is still being used if the cars are on the tracks.


and people, the cars dont have to look identical, there is alot going on under the body panels to. or has it been mentioned what the papers covered?

I agree, if the cars they used previously were tainted with illegal info, why should they be allowed to race again. I mean they still have the illegal info? 1 of the drivers can still win the drivers championship with an illegal car.

Although this has nothing to do with this i guess :?: Mclaren last year were very unreliable, crashing, parts falling off, breaking down...... this year they are perfect, like ferrai HAS been in previous years. Something is very sketchy

[5vz-fe]

^I agree, but I guess they made certain deal so that they will testify against their team. Ron prolly predicts they will get nailed this time, so he try to salvage the driver's title at least. I hope the 100 mil will hurt their next year's performance.

[acmarttin]

It's okay Stan. I almost re-posted it too.

[blue8]

Reason for McLaren's expulsion from the FIA (it's a VERY long read):

FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE L' AUTOMOBILE

World Motor Sport Council Decision

Re: Article 151(c) International Sporting Code - Vodafone McLaren

Mercedes

13 September 2007

The World Motor Sport Council ("WMSC") met on 13th September 2007 to consider a charge that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes ("McLaren") had breached Article 151(c) of the International Sporting Code.

1 Background

1.1 Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro ("Ferrari") has submitted that it received information on 24 June 2007 suggesting that unauthorised use may have been made of certain of its confidential information. Ferrari has submitted that it subsequently learned that certain of its confidential information had come into possession of Mr. Michael Coughlan ("Coughlan"), the then Chief

Designer of McLaren.

1.2 On 3 July 2007, in the context of litigation in the High Court of England and Wales ("High Court Proceedings") between Ferrari and Coughlan, a search was undertaken at the private residence of Coughlan under the authority of that Court.

According to the evidence before the WMSC, during that search, a dossier of some 780 pages of confidential information belonging to Ferrari was recovered.

1.3 In light of the results of the search, Ferrari wrote to the FIA late on 3 July 2007 inviting it to consider whether the FIA should launch an investigation into the matter.

1.4 After preliminary investigations, on 12 July 2007 the FIA wrote to McLaren requesting it to appear at an extraordinary meeting of the WMSC in Paris on 26 July 2007 ("the 26 July WMSC meeting"). McLaren was informed that, at the 26 July WMSC meeting, it would be asked to answer the charge that between March and July 2007, in breach of Article 151(c) of the International Sporting Code, it had unauthorised possession of documents and confidential information belonging to Ferrari. In particular, McLaren was charged with the unauthorised possession of one or more of the following technical documents that could be used for one or more of the following purposes: designing, engineering, building, checking, testing, developing and running a 2007 Ferrari Formula One car, including drawings, lay-out and digital mock-up schemes, technical documents and reports and procedures relating, amongst other things, to weight distribution, aerodynamics, component designs, suspension, gearbox, hydraulic, water, oil and fuel system designs, assembly and building technology designs.

1.5 In response to the charge, McLaren made extensive written submissions in advance of the 26 July WMSC meeting and made detailed oral argument at the meeting itself. McLaren did not dispute that Coughlan had come into possession of Ferrari confidential information but argued, inter alia:

(i) that the Ferrari confidential information in question had not been circulated

within McLaren;

(ii) that McLaren had neither used nor benefited from the receipt by Coughlan of the Ferrari confidential information; and

(iii) that the actions of Coughlan in receiving and dealing with the Ferrari confidential information were those of a "rogue employee" for which McLaren should not be held responsible.

1.6 The WMSC considered the arguments and evidence presented by McLaren at the 26 July WMSC meeting and came to the conclusion that McLaren had been in possession of Ferrari confidential information and was therefore in breach of Article 151(c) of the International Sporting Code.

1.7 Although a number of unsatisfactory elements were noted during the deliberations, in assessing the gravity of the breach, the WMSC concluded that there was insufficient evidence that the information was used in such a way as to interfere with the running of the FIA Formula One World Championship ("the Championship").

1.8 However, conscious of, inter alia, the fact that several related procedures were ongoing (including, notably, the High Court Proceedings, a criminal investigation in Italy and various internal forensic investigations at McLaren and Ferrari), the WMSC explicitly reserved the right to revisit its conclusions if further information came to light, in particular information showing that Ferrari confidential information had been used by McLaren to the detriment of the Championship.

1.9 The following Decision was therefore reached:

"The WMSC is satisfied that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes was in possession of confidential Ferrari information and is therefore in breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code. However, there is insufficient evidence that this information was used in such a way as to interfere improperly with the FIA Formula One World Championship. We therefore impose no penalty. But if it is found in the future that the Ferrari information has been used to the detriment of the championship, we reserve the right to invite Vodafone McLaren Mercedes back in front of the WMSC where it will face the possibility of exclusion from not only the 2007 championship but also the 2008 championship.

The WMSC will also invite Mr Stepney and Mr Coughlan to show reason why they should not be banned from international motor sport for a lengthy period and the WMSC has delegated authority to deal with this matter to the legal department of the FIA."

2 Re-convening of WMSC

2.1 Subsequent to the WMSC Decision of 26 July 2007 (the "26 July Decision"), new evidence came to light which, in the FIA's assessment merited consideration by the WMSC.

2.2 A new meeting of the WMSC was therefore convened for 13 September 2007 ("the 13 September WMSC meeting").

2.3 All relevant parties (including McLaren and Ferrari) were informed of the new meeting and were given copies of the new evidence put before the WMSC (in some limited cases, after redaction of confidential information). McLaren and Ferrari were invited to make written submissions which have been duly received by the WMSC.

2.4 Oral submissions and explanations have also been made on behalf of McLaren and Ferrari and at the 13 September WMSC meeting, the WMSC has put questions to those concerned. Opportunities were also offered and taken up for McLaren and Ferrari to cross-examine each others' witnesses.

2.5 Some of the key elements that the WMSC has considered are set out below. In light of the strong imperative in the interests of the sport to issue a swift ruling, the following does not constitute an exhaustive list of the elements considered nor does it purport to be a summary of all of the evidence put before the WMSC.

3 New Evidence - E-mails between McLaren Drivers 3.1 In the period after the 26 July Decision, the FIA was made aware of a specific allegation that e-mails relevant to the FIA's investigation had been exchanged between certain McLaren drivers.

3.2 The FIA therefore wrote to three McLaren drivers (Mr. Alonso, Mr. Hamilton and Mr. de la Rosa) to establish whether or not this allegation had any basis in fact and requested that they produce copies of any relevant documents, including any electronic communications (howsoever conveyed or stored) which may be relevant to this case and which make reference to Ferrari, Ferrari's employee Nigel Stepney ("Stepney") or any technical or other information coming from or connected with either Ferrari or Stepney.

3.3 The McLaren drivers were reminded of their duty as competitors and Super Licence holders to ensure the fairness and legitimacy of the Formula One World Championship. Given the importance of establishing the facts and that the information might not come out any other way, the FIA offered the assurance that any information made available in response to the letter would not result in any proceedings against the drivers personally under the International Sporting Code or the Formula One Regulations. However, the drivers were notified that if it later came to light that they had withheld any potentially relevant information, serious consequences could follow.

3.4 All three drivers responded. Mr. Hamilton responded that he had no information responsive to the FIA's request. Mr. Alonso and Mr. de la Rosa both submitted emails to the FIA which the WMSC finds highly relevant. Subsequently (at McLaren's request) both Mr. Alonso and Mr. de la Rosa made written statements to the WMSC verifying that these e-mails were sent and received and offering context and explanations regarding the e-mails.

The e-mails show unequivocally that both Mr. Alonso and Mr. de la Rosa received confidential Ferrari information via Coughlan; that both drivers knew that this information was confidential Ferrari information and that both knew that the information was being received by Coughlan from Stepney.

weight distribution

3.5 On 21 March 2007 at 09.57 Mr. de la Rosa wrote to Coughlan in the following terms:

"Hi Mike, do you know the Red Car's Weight Distribution? It would be important for us to know so that we could try it in the simulator. Thanks in advance, Pedro.

p.s. I will be in the simulator tomorrow."

3.6 In his evidence given to the WMSC, Mr. de la Rosa confirmed that Coughlan replied by text message with precise details of Ferrari's weight distribution.

3.7 On 25 March 2007 at 01.43 Mr. de la Rosa sent an e-mail to Fernando Alonso which sets out Ferrari's weight distribution to two decimal places on each of Ferrari's two cars as set up for the Australian Grand Prix.

3.8 Mr. Alonso replied to this e-mail on 25 March 2007 at 12.31 (they were in different time zones). His e-mail includes a section headed "Ferrari" in which he says "its weight distribution surprises me; I don't know either if it's 100% reliable, but at least it draws attention". The e-mail continues with a discussion of how McLaren's weight distribution compares with Ferrari's.

3.9 Mr. de la Rosa replied on 25 March 2007 13.02 stating the following: "All the information from Ferrari is very reliable. It comes from Nigel Stepney, their former chief mechanic - I don't know what post he holds now. He's the same person who told us in Australia that Kimi was stopping in lap 18. He's very friendly with Mike Coughlan, our Chief Designer, and he told him that."

3.10 Mr. de la Rosa's e-mail to Coughlan specifically stated that he wished to receive Ferrari's weight distribution for the purposes of testing it in the simulator the following day ("It would be important for us to know so that we could try it in the simulator"). Mr. de la Rosa explained to the WMSC at the meeting of 13 September 2007 that when Coughlan responded with the precise details in question, he (de la Rosa) decided that the weight distribution was so different to the McLaren car set up that it would not, in fact, be tested in the simulator. Mr de la Rosa says that thereafter he regarded the information as unimportant. It seems highly unlikely to the WMSC that a test driver would take a decision of this sort on his own. It also is not clear why, if Mr. de la Rosa regarded this information as unimportant, he would still convey and discuss it with Mr. Alonso some days later in his e-mail exchange of 25th March. Mr. de la Rosa's evidence also makes clear that there was no reluctance or hesitation about testing the Ferrari information for potential benefit, but only that on this occasion he says that there was a technical reason not to do so.

3.11 McLaren's Chief Engineer Mr. Lowe gave clear evidence that decisions relating to simulator testing would normally involve a number of engineering and other staff (as would running the tests themselves). It seems highly unlikely that decisions about what would be run in the simulator would by taken by a test driver on his own.

flexible wing and aero balance

3.12 In the same e-mail exchange of 25 March 2007, Mr. de la Rosa states that tests had been carried out on a flexible rear wing which Mr. de la Rosa says is "a copy of the system we think Ferrari uses". The Ferrari car's precise aero balance at 250 kph is also identified. While it is conceivable that the former item could have been copied from observation of the Ferrari car, it is clear from the context of the exchange (it being part of the information that Mr. de la Rosa describes as being "very reliable" because it comes from Stepney) that the latter item is confidential to Ferrari and that it was passed to Mr. de la Rosa by Coughlan, who got it from Stepney.

tyre gas

3.13 Mr de la Rosa's e-mail to Mr. Alonso on 25 March 2007 at 01.43 identified a gas that Ferrari uses to inflate its tyres to reduce the internal temperature and blistering. The e-mail concludes with a statement (in relation to the gas) that "we'll have to try it, it's easy!".

3.14 Mr Alonso replied at 12.31 that it is "very important" that McLaren test the gas that Ferrari uses in its tyres as "they have something different from the rest", and "not only this year. there is something else and this may be the key; let's hope we can test it during this test, and that we can make it a priority!".

3.15 Mr. de la Rosa replied on 25 March 2007 13.02 stating the following: I agree 100% that we must test the [tyre gas] thing very soon.

3.16 Although the e-mail exchange between Mr. Alonso and Mr. de la Rosa makes clear that they both were enthusiastic about trying the gas apparently used by Ferrari in its tyres, Mr de la Rosa's evidence to the WMSC was that he, on his own, decided to explore with a Bridgestone engineer whether the McLaren team should try this gas. He states that he had no other conversations with any other specialist staff within McLaren. His evidence is that the Bridgestone engineer in question doubted whether the gas would confer an advantage upon McLaren.

According to Mr de la Rosa, without further consultation with anyone else at McLaren, and despite the fact that this had apparently been successfully used at Ferrari, the idea was dropped and no actual attempt was made to test the gas in the tyres used by McLaren.

3.17 It seems unlikely to the WMSC that a test driver would engage in such consultations on his own without discussing it any further with anyone else at the team. It also seems unlikely that a decision on whether to pursue the matter further would be taken by a test driver on his own. Finally, Mr de la Rosa's evidence makes clear that there was no reluctance or hesitation about using the Ferrari information, but only that on this occasion it was concluded that there would be no advantage in doing so.

braking system

3.18 On 12 April 2007 at 12.25 Mr. de la Rosa wrote to Mr. Coughlan and asked " can you explain me as much as you can, Ferrari's braking system with the [reference to detailed technical information]? Are they adjusting from inside the cockpit...?"

3.19 After a number of exchanges about whether a description would be too complicated to articulate by e-mail, Mr. Coughlan replies on 14 April 2007 at 14.40 with a technical description which purports to be a description of the principles underpinning the Ferrari braking system. Ferrari have confirmed that the description given is an accurate (though incomplete) description of the principles of its braking system. Coughlan concludes with a statement that "we are looking at something similar". This latter statement strongly suggests that the McLaren system was being worked on from a position of knowledge of the details of the Ferrari system, which, even if the Ferrari system not being directly copied, must be more advantageous to McLaren than designing a system without such knowledge.

3.20 The e-mail exchange between Mr. de la Rosa and Mr. Alonso dated 25 March 2007 at 01.43 also describes some aspects of the McLaren braking system and states that "with the information that we have, we believe Ferrari has a similar system" and goes on to describe highly specific elements of the Ferrari system (which cannot be set out here for confidentiality reasons but which clearly demonstrate knowledge of Ferrari's confidential information). stopping strategy

3.21 As mentioned above, Mr. de la Rosa's e-mail on 25 March 2007 13.02 stated "all the information from Ferrari is very reliable. It comes from Nigel Stepney, their former chief mechanic - I don't know what post he holds now. He's the same person who told us in Australia that Kimi was stopping in lap 18. He's very friendly with Mike Coughlan, our Chief Designer, and he told him that.

3.22 The evidence before the WMSC is that Mr. Räikkönen (Kimi) actually stopped at lap 19 at the Australian GP. However, the fact remains that Mr de la Rosa cited this information as a reason to believe that Stepney was a reliable source of information. This strongly suggests that McLaren had at least taken account of this information in determining its own strategy.

3.23 The evidence before the WMSC also demonstrates that Stepney had fed information through Coughlan regarding which lap one or more of the Ferrari drivers would stop at during the Bahrain Grand Prix. McLaren has sought to discredit the significance of this information as it proved in the end to be inaccurate. However, the evidence before the WMSC was that the safety car had been deployed early in the race making it likely that stopping strategies would be adjusted. This deployment of the safety car could not have been known in advance of the race and the fact that the stoppage predictions proved inaccurate does not mean that McLaren had not considered and taken account of the information that had been received in determining its own strategy before the race.

3.24 In any case, as there is no legitimate context in which another teams' stopping strategy would be revealed to McLaren in advance, there is very clear evidence that both drivers knew that they were receiving unauthorised and confidential Ferrari information. To the WMSC's knowledge, no effort was taken to report or stem this flow.

4 New Evidence - Communications between Coughlan and Stepney

4.1 The evidence put before the 26 July WMSC meeting indicated that a limited number of contacts had occurred between Coughlan and Stepney. Coughlan's affidavit (submitted in the context of the High Court Proceedings) identified a number of such contacts and described incidents where specific Ferrari confidential information was transferred to him. The WMSC considered these contacts but had no specific evidence of further or other contacts. The focus at the 26 July WMSC meeting was on the circumstances surrounding the transmission of the 780 page Ferrari dossier discovered at Coughlan's home.

4.2 New evidence has come to light which strongly indicates that the transmission of confidential Ferrari information from Stepney to Coughlan was not limited to the 780 page dossier. This evidence demonstrates that a far greater level of communication existed between Coughlan and Stepney than was appreciated at the 26 July WMSC meeting. This evidence was submitted by Ferrari and is deemed credible as it originates from the Italian police and is the result of an official analysis of records of telephone, SMS and e-mail contacts between Coughlan and Stepney. The evidence included the following.

4.3 In its report "Allegato 18", the Italian Police demonstrated that in the period 21 March to 3 July 2007, Coughlan received 23 calls from Stepney's personal mobile phone and made four calls to that phone. In the same period, Coughlan received 124 SMS messages from Stepney and sent 66 SMS messages to Stepney.

4.4 In its report "Allegato 9" the Italian Police have identified logs which show 23 emails passed between Coughlan and Stepney between 1 March and 14 April 2007.

4.5 In its report "Allegato 10" the Italian police have identified a further 98 SMS messages and a further eight telephone calls (on different phones) between Coughlan and Stepney between 11 March and 14 April 2007.

4.6 In total, at least 288 SMS messages and 35 telephone calls appear to have passed between Coughlan and Stepney between 11 March 2007 and 3 July 2007.

4.7 The number of contacts increased considerably during private tests carried out by Ferrari in Malaysia at the end of March 2007 and in the run up to and during the days of the Grands Prix in Australia on 18 March 2007, Malaysia on 8 April 2007, Bahrain on 15 April 2007 and Spain on 13 May 2007.

4.8 The evidence of the Italian police that has been produced also states that Stepney sought technical details from Ferrari's chief mechanic, Mr Uguzzoni, about tests carried out by Ferrari in Malaysia in a way that drew attention within Ferrari at the time.

4.9 In addition, e-mails between McLaren drivers were produced to the 13 September WMSC meeting (see above) stating clearly that Coughlan had received information from Stepney regarding the Ferrari car and had passed this information to others within the McLaren team.

4.10 Neither Ferrari nor McLaren have ever disputed (whether at the 26 July WMSC meeting or since) that confidential Ferrari information was passed from Stepney to Coughlan during the period in question. However, the new evidence regarding the number and timing of the contacts makes it far more likely that there was a systematic flow of Ferrari confidential information to Coughlan leading to the conclusion that the illicit communication of information was very likely not limited to the transmission of the Ferrari dossier discovered at Coughlan's home on 3 July 2007. This conclusion is corroborated in the e-mails exchanged between McLaren's drivers (see above).

4.11 McLaren stated in its submissions for the 13 September WMSC meeting that this new evidence on the number and timing of the communications merely confirmed what was already known: that Coughlan and Stepney were illicitly sharing Ferrari confidential information. It has also been suggested by McLaren that Coughlan and Stepney were acting on their own account and that possibly they were planning to seek new employment together elsewhere.

4.12 Without drawing a definitive conclusion on this point, the WMSC considered that it was difficult to reconcile this version of events with the number and timing of the contacts described above as if Coughlan and Stepney had simply been sharing information to facilitate a plan to search for new employment there would appear to be no particular reason for the contacts to have intensified around the tests and the Grands Prix and no reason for Coughlan to share information with McLaren's drivers. Rather, it appeared more likely that the information being exchanged related to those tests and the Grands Prix.

4.13 Further, in light of Coughlan's role within the McLaren team, it had seemed unlikely to the WMSC at the meeting on 26 July 2007 that Coughlan himself would have been able to make any direct or immediate use (whether personal or within his role at McLaren) of up to date information relating to the Ferrari car at the site of different Grands Prix. However, as detailed above, at the 13 September WMSC meeting, the WMSC heard new evidence to suggest that this was not the case and that Coughlan had, in fact, communicated to at least one McLaren driver statements from Stepney of which lap the Ferrari drivers would stop at during both the Australian Grand Prix and the Bahrain Grand Prix. These communications between Coughlan and at least one of the McLaren drivers coincided exactly in time with some of the most intense period of contact between Coughlan and Stepney described above.

4.14 In the absence of another explanation, in light of the number and timing of the communications between Coughlan and Stepney and the e-mail exchanges between the McLaren drivers (see above), the WMSC regards it as reasonable to infer that Coughlan was in receipt of a flow of confidential Ferrari information from Stepney and that at least some of that information was communicated to others within McLaren (e.g. Mr. de la Rosa and Mr. Alonso).

4.15 In sum, the new information on the number and timing of the contacts between Coughlan and Stepney inevitably had an impact on the WMSC's appreciation of the nature of the contacts between Coughlan and Stepney, on its appreciation of the emails between the drivers and on the likelihood of Ferrari confidential information received by Coughlan having an influence on his work with McLaren.

5 Coughlan's Role at McLaren

5.1 McLaren's submission made for and at the 26 July WMSC meeting indicated that Coughlan had a relatively limited managerial role and that it would not be possible for him to propose ideas without having to explain their provenance. In McLaren's submission, this demonstrated that, despite having detailed Ferrari technical information, Coughlan could not have used any of this information to benefit McLaren without a significant number of people at McLaren knowing. McLaren submitted statements from a number of its engineers that those engineers were not aware of changes made to the McLaren car using confidential Ferrari information.

5.2 The submissions made for the 13 September WMSC meeting show that that Coughlan may have had a more active role in the design of the McLaren car than previously appreciated by the WMSC.

5.3 The WMSC does not have evidence that any complete Ferrari design was copied and subsequently wholly incorporated into the McLaren car as a result of Coughlan passing confidential from Stepney to McLaren. However, it is difficult to accept that the secret Ferrari information that was within Coughlan's knowledge never influenced his judgement in the performance of his duties. It is not necessary for McLaren to have copied a complete Ferrari design for it to have benefited from Coughlan's knowledge. For example, the secret Ferrari information cannot but have informed the views Coughlan expressed to others in the McLaren design department, for example regarding which design projects to prioritise or which research to pursue. The advantage gained may have been as subtle as Coughlan being in a position to suggest alternative ways of approaching different design challenges.

6 Evidence of Mr. Neale

6.1 At the 26 July WMSC meeting (and the evidence was repeated at the hearing of 13 September) it was noted that Coughlan had revealed to his superior at McLaren, Mr. Neale, that Stepney had attempted to pass secret Ferrari information to Coughlan. A firewall was set up at the instigation of Mr. Neale to prevent further contacts from Stepney and Coughlan was directed to cease contact with Stepney. Within a matter of weeks thereafter, Coughlan attempted to show some photographs to Mr. Neale which, according to Mr. Neale himself, because of the manner in which they were produced, suggested to Mr. Neale that they should not have been in Coughlan's possession. Rather than establish the facts and take appropriate action as his superior at McLaren, Mr. Neale advised Coughlan to destroy the photographs. Coming as soon as it did after McLaren had been required to install a firewall and had directed this same employee to cease contact with a known source of Ferrari confidential information, the WMSC notes that it is very unsatisfactory that no further action was taken to investigate this matter further and make appropriate disclosures to the FIA as regulator.

7 Nature of the information held by McLaren

7.1 The WMSC believes that the nature of the information illicitly held by McLaren was information of a nature which, if used or in any way taken into account, could confer a significant sporting advantage upon McLaren.

7.2 Evidence was submitted at the 13 September WMSC meeting by McLaren's Engineering Director, Mr. Lowe, that the dossier of Ferrari information found in Coughlan's possession did not contain information of particular use or interest to McLaren on the basis that the McLaren car was significantly different to the Ferrari car. This submission was apparently made on the basis of the review of the index to the dossier of Ferrari documents (Mr. Lowe having stated that he had not seen the dossier itself).

7.3 The WMSC does not accept this account. In both WMSC hearings and in written submissions, and from the direct knowledge of the WMSC Members, Formula One teams have great interest in each others' technology and go to considerable lengths (within the rules) to study each other's designs and innovations through direct observation, photographic evidence and othermeans. In addition the technical information in Coughlan's possession was, in the WMSC's appreciation, highly significant and could certainly confer a sporting advantage, if used or taken into account.

8 WMSC's Assessment

8.1 The WMSC has carefully considered the evidence and submissions of all parties.

8.2 It has concluded (and intends to re-affirm) that a breach of Article 151(c) has occurred.

8.3 In the 26 July Decision, the WMSC found a breach of Article 151(c). In assessing the gravity of that breach, it took account of a number of factors including any evidence (or, at the time, lack of it) to suggest that the Ferrari information improperly held had actually been used and actually conferred a sporting advantage. Other factors that it took into account included the argument that there was little evidence of the information in question being disseminated to others at McLaren, what the WMSC then understood to be Coughlan's more limited role and the argument that Coughlan was a single rogue employee.

8.4 McLaren has made detailed submissions indicating that none of the information received enhanced the McLaren car. McLaren has suggested to the WMSC that unless "actual use" and a demonstrated and itemised performance advantage can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt (i.e. to a criminal law standard of proof), the WMSC is not permitted at law to impose a penalty.

8.5 The WMSC rejects this suggestion. The WMSC has full jurisdiction to apply Article 151(c) and stresses that it is not necessary for it to demonstrate that any confidential Ferrari information was directly copied by McLaren or put to direct use in the McLaren car to justify a finding that Article 151(c) was breached and/or that a penalty is merited. Nor does the WMSC need to show that any information improperly held led to any specifically identified sporting advantage, or indeed any advantage at all. Rather, the WMSC is entitled to treat possession of another team's information as an offence meriting a penalty on its own if it so chooses.

8.6 The fact that in its 26 July Decision, based on more limited evidence, the Council had a different appreciation of the gravity of McLaren's breach does not lead to the creation of a legal test regarding the WMSC's burden of proof.

The WMSC could have imposed a penalty with the 26 July Decision based on the evidence therein, but chose not to (based in part on McLaren's submissions that there had been no dissemination of Ferrari information beyond Mr Coughlan).

8.7 The WMSC has taken note of McLaren's position that an injustice would occur if a penalty were imposed without the FIA having accepted McLaren's offer to inspect the McLaren premises and designs for evidence of Ferrari technology having been copied. However, as noted above, neither the finding of a breach nor the imposition of a penalty require evidence of McLaren having directly incorporated Ferrari technology. Nonetheless, the WMSC have noted and taken account of the open and co-operative nature of this offer and taken this into account in reaching this Decision.

8.8 In light of the evidence now before it, the WMSC does not accept that the only actions of McLaren deserving censure were those of Coughlan. While this situation might have originated with the actions of a single rogue McLaren

employee acting on his own and without McLaren's knowledge or consent, evidence is now available which, when taken in its full context, makes clear that:

- Coughlan had more information than previously appreciated and was receiving information in a systematic manner over a period of months;

- the information has been disseminated, at least to some degree (e.g. to Mr. de la Rosa and Mr. Alonso), within the McLaren team;

- the information being disseminated within the McLaren team included not

only highly sensitive technical information but also secret information regarding Ferrari's sporting strategy;

- Mr de la Rosa, in the performance of his functions at McLaren, requested and received secret Ferrari information from a source which he knew to be illegitimate and expressly stated that the purpose of his request was to run tests in the simulator;

- the secret information in question was shared with Mr. Alonso;

- there was a clear intention on the part of a number of McLaren personnel to

use some of the Ferrari confidential information in its own testing. If this was

not in fact carried into effect it was only because there were technical reasons

not to do so;

- Coughlan's role within McLaren (as now understood by the WMSC) put him in a position in which his knowledge of the secret Ferrari information would have influenced him in the performance of his duties.

8.9 It seems to the WMSC clear that Coughlan's actions were intended by him to give McLaren a sporting advantage. He fed information about Ferrari's stopping strategy, braking system, weight distribution and other matters to McLaren's test driver. Furthermore, in light of Coughlan's undoubted experience, he is likely to have known a great deal about how to confer an advantage and the roles of different personnel within the team. It seems most unlikely that he confined his activities to sharing Ferrari's information with Mr. de la Rosa. It also seems most unlikely that his own work was not influenced in some way by the knowledge regarding the Ferrari car that he is known to have possessed.

8.10 Furthermore, it seems entirely unlikely to the WMSC that any Formula One driver would bear the sole responsibility for handling or processing sensitive Ferrari information (e.g. on substances used to inflate tyres or weight distribution) or deciding how or whether such information would be used or tested. In light of his experience, Coughlan would have known this and if he intended to reveal this information to McLaren, he is unlikely to have done so only to Mr. de la Rosa .

8.11 The WMSC therefore finds that a number of McLaren employees or agents were in unauthorised possession of, or knew or should have known that other McLaren employees or agents were in unauthorised possession of, highly confidential Ferrari technical information. In addition, the WMSC finds that there was an intention on the part of a number of McLaren personnel to use some of the Ferrari confidential information in its own testing.

8.12 The evidence leads the WMSC to conclude that some degree of sporting advantage was obtained, though it may forever be impossible to quantify that advantage in concrete terms.

8.13 These factors lead the WMSC to an appreciation of the gravity of McLaren's breach which is materially different to the appreciation in the 26 July Decision.

On this occasion the WMSC believes that a penalty is merited.

8.14 Having indicated to McLaren that a penalty was likely to be imposed, the WMSC heard submissions regarding the appropriateness of penalties from McLaren and from counsel for Mr. Hamilton. The WMSC has reached its decision having taken due account of those submissions.

9 Decision

9.1 For the foregoing reasons, the WMSC finds McLaren in breach of Article 151(c) of the International Sporting Code.

9.2 The WMSC therefore, in accordance with the provisions of the International

Sporting Code, imposes the following sanctions relation to the 2007 FIA Formula

One World Championship:

- a penalty consisting of exclusion from and withdrawal of all points awarded to McLaren in all rounds of the 2007 Constructors' Championship. For the avoidance of doubt, McLaren will be permitted to race in the remaining rounds of the 2007 Championship but will not be permitted to score points in the Constructors Championship or attend the podium in the event of a top three finish in any of the remaining races in the 2007 season. Points scored by other competitors in the Championship to date will not be affected further to the withdrawal of McLaren's points;

- a fine of USD100 million (less any sum that would have been payable by Formula One Management Limited on account of McLaren's results in the 2007 Constructors Championship had it not been excluded). This fine shall be payable within three months from the date of this Decision.

9.3 Exceptionally, because primary responsibility must rest with McLaren, in the interests of the sport and also because McLaren's drivers were offered immunity from individual sanction by the President of the FIA in his letter dated 30 August 2007, the WMSC does not consider that it is appropriate to impose any sanction on them individually or impose sanctions on McLaren which would affect these drivers' individual Championship standings. As such, both McLaren drivers will retain all the drivers' Championship points they have won so far in the 2007 season and will be permitted to win drivers' Championship points and attend the podium in the remaining races of the 2007 season.

9.4 In addition, in the interest of ensuring that McLaren is not unfairly advantaged as against any of its competitors in the 2008 Championship, the WMSC instructs the FIA technical department to conduct an investigation of McLaren's preparatory work on its 2008 car with a view to determining whether that car incorporates any Ferrari confidential information and report back before the WMSC meeting of December 2007. Once the WMSC has considered this report, a separate Decision will be taken regarding McLaren's participation in the 2008 Championship, including whether any penalty should be imposed. This present Decision does not in any way affect McLaren's entitlement to participate in the 2008 Championship if the entry conditions are fulfilled.

9.5 McLaren is reminded of its right of appeal. In the event that an appeal is lodged with the FIA International Court of Appeal, the effect of this Decision will not be suspended pending the outcome of that appeal.

Signed:

__________________________________________

Max Mosley

FIA President

Paris, 13 September 2007

[Bizi Jones]

wow... :shock:

so y is Alonso allowed to continue...because he forwarded some emails? :roll: :x ban this prick from F1

[sameerrao]

Thansk for the post blue8

There it is in black and white. McLaren cheated. I think the drivers should also have been docked their points. :roll: What a crappy way to finish a fantastic season!

[LEXION]

PARIS — The McLaren team was fined US$100 million and stripped of all of its points in the constructors' standings Thursday in the spy scandal that has rocked the sport.

Team drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, who are currently 1-2 in the championship standings, were not punished and can continue to compete for the season title.

McLaren could still be penalized for the 2008 championship, FIA said in a statement after a hearing.

McLaren, which leads the current drivers' and constructors' standings, was punished by the World Motor Sports Council for allegedly using leaked secret technical documents belonging to F1 rival Ferrari.

"We have never denied that the information from Ferrari was in the personal possession of one of our employees at his home," team chief Ron Dennis said. "The issue is: was this information used by McLaren? This is not the case and has not been proven today."

McLaren can appeal.

"We believe we have grounds for appeal. But of course we are going to wait for the findings of the FIA which are going to be published," Dennis said. "The most important thing is that we go motor racing this weekend, the rest of the season and next season."


The case broke open in July when a 780-page technical dossier on Ferrari cars was found at the home of McLaren's chief designer, Mike Coughlan, who was later suspended. Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney, who allegedly supplied the documents, was fired.

"Ferrari is satisfied that the truth has now emerged," the Italian team said in a statement.

Rookie English driver Hamilton leads the standings with 92 points, followed by two-time F1 champion Alonso of Spain with 89. Ferrari teammates Kimi Raikkonen (74) and Felipe Massa (69) are third and fourth. Four races remain in the season, starting with Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.

Alonso and Hamilton finished 1-2 in Sunday's Italian Grand Prix — at Ferrari's home track of Monza — to extend McLaren's lead in the constructors' championship to 23 points. McLaren had 166, Ferrari 143.

Under Thursday's ruling, McLaren loses all its constructors' points and is ineligible from scoring any more in the final races of the season.

The US$100 million (euro72 million) penalty includes McLaren's expected loss of income.

McLaren escaped the harshest possible penalty, as FIA could have kicked the team and its drivers out of the 2007 and 2008 championships. In December, FIA will decide on any possible sanctions against McLaren for the 2008 season.

FIA said it did not penalize McLaren's drivers "due to exceptional circumstances" because they provided evidence in exchange for immunity.

The World Motor Sport Council ruled in July that McLaren was guilty of fraudulent conduct for possessing the Ferrari documents but did not punish the team because there was insufficient evidence the material was misused. However, the council warned that McLaren could be kicked out of the 2007 and 2008 series if it is found in the future that the information has been used "to the detriment of the championship."

FIA announced last week it was calling a new hearing of the council after "new evidence" had emerged.

Among those appearing at the hearing before the 26-member council were Hamilton, Dennis and McLaren test driver Pedro De La Rosa. Alonso did not attend.

Among others attending were Ross Brawn, Ferrari's former technical director, and team officials from Red Bull, Williams and Spyker.

FIA president Max Mosley sent letters to Alonso, Hamilton and De La Rosa on Aug. 31, saying the sport's regulator had been told that "one or more McLaren drivers may be in possession ... of written evidence relevant to this investigation."

Mosley asked the three drivers to cooperate "in the interests of the sport and the championship" and offered them amnesty in return. Mosley also wrote that "serious consequences would follow" if they were later found to "have withheld any potentially relevant information."

The case against McLaren reportedly consists of a 166-page dossier that includes e-mail exchanges between De la Rosa and Alonso as well as details of phone and text message traffic between Coughlan and Stepney supplied to FIA by authorities in Italy.

Separately, McLaren was notified Saturday that it is being investigated in a separate criminal inquiry in Italy. Dennis and five other team personnel are reportedly under investigation.

Those allegations stem from Ferrari's criminal case against Stepney for allegedly placing a mysterious white powder on the gas tanks of the team's cars before the Monaco GP, in a supposed sabotage attempt.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2007/09/13/spying-formula-one.html

http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3213_2727576,00.html

http://www.rte.ie/sport/motorsport/2007/0914/mclaren.html

[Jabba]

Let the flaming begin on the mother of all stans 0X

[LEXION]

daaamn me, And Ive searched for this in the Breaking news, Car breaking news, pictures and video links and motorsport....where is the other thread????

[bmagni]

Lol, so I steal some money from the bank, use it, and because I tell the "authorities" the truth, they do nothing to me, and get to spend whatever's left. :fadein:

[Jabba]

It almost caught me out as well, and I was ready to post something about ten minutes after the news first broke yesterday, and yet there had already been five replys to the subject by then.

[novass]

I really don't know how Alonso didn't get penalized seeing as how he had quite a bit to do with it. :?

McLaren just screwed up the whole season. The Belgium race will be interesting.

[blue8]

*Thread title changed to make it appear in the search results and to avoid spam :D

Ron Dennis was the source of new spy evidence
McLaren boss Ron Dennis revealed on Friday that he tipped off the FIA about the existence of incriminating emails that ultimately led to his team's $100m fine and exclusion from the 2007 world championship.

While the identity of the emails' authors - team drivers Fernando Alonso and Pedro de la Rosa - has been known for some time, it was thought that the whistleblower might have had a more malevolent motive.

Alonso, for example, has reportedly been looking for an exit from his 2008 contract, while Flavio Briatore is keen to reunite the reigning world champion with Renault.

Dennis, however, told reporters at Spa Francorchamps that he telephoned the governing body on the morning of the recent Hungarian Grand Prix, which prompted the Paris body to reopen the case.

"Once I became aware that new evidence might exist, I immediately phoned the FIA to keep them informed," he said in Belgium.

Many believe that Dennis' long history of integrity and honesty is reason enough for him to incriminate his own team in such a way.


But as reported earlier, a rumour has been swirling all day in the Spa paddock that Dennis actually pre-empted the disgruntled Alonso, who was at the time threatening to take the offending emails to the FIA.

It has also been suggested on Friday that former McLaren racer Kimi Raikkonen played a role in the espionage case by telling the FIA that McLaren often listened in on Ferrari's scrambled radio messages at races throughout his five year tenure at the team.

Dennis, meanwhile, told reporters on Friday that McLaren had not decided whether to appeal the World Motor Sport Council's sanction.

"We have seven days and are carefully considering the company's position once we have a full understanding of the FIA's findings," he said.

[bmagni]

Many believe that Dennis' long history of integrity and honesty is reason enough for him to incriminate his own team in such a way.

:rofl:

[deuces]

what sort of options does ron dennis have for kicking alonso off of the team. i don't doubt that he wants to, but there must be certain penalties involved with his contract that would probably prove to be even more costly to mclaren. when you think about it...alonso already cost them the constructors points when he held hamilton up in the hungarian pits, and now he has been instrumental in costing mclaren ALL of their constructors points. i don't see how ron dennis could want someone like alonso on the team anymore..

[ZfrkS62]

holy mother of dog shit.....i can't believe what i fucking read last night, or any of the info in this thread...

this fucking blows me away.

i was really hoping this would be a clean breakout for a rookie sensation, but i guess it was too good to be true.

The truly shocking thing to me is not that this is happening, but that Flavio isn't accusing the FIA of helping Ferrari to win :roll:

Alonso and De La Rosa ought to have their Super Licenses revoked for their enthusiasm in ripping off Ferrari. I would think that any change McLaren makes to their cars over the next couple of years is going to be placed under a microscope powerful that an amoeba's fart will be visible.

Odd how the New England Patriots just got bent over and fucked for spying on the opposing defense's signals....

WTF is going on in the sporting world?!?!?!

[5vz-fe]

It's so funny that Ron still thinks that they didn't do no wong and they should not be punished if ppl can't prove they gain advantage from it. Simply having the Ferrari document already set a much higher baseline for their testing. How the f**k could this guy be so f**king arrogant.

[novass]

I was just watching the Friday practice coverage of Spa-Fr. and the announcers said there are rumors (though they come from reliable sources) that Alonso was trying to blackmail McLaren with this info. Apparently Alonso said something to the effect that he would go to the FIA unless McLaren named him #1 and/or removed Hamilton from the team. Not sure if any of that is true or if it has been discussed already.

[nthfinity]

In the old day's.... Macca would've been removed entirely from this year's championship.... the cars, the points, the drivers points... none of this pussy-footing around. What makes Alonso, and Hamilton any more worthy of their drivers' points then the guys who race in the 70's, and 80's?

Nothing

Today, F1 is very fragile, and the FIA took it a very pollitically motivated decision to only strip constructor points. F1 is VERY fragile right now, and anything could set off the other teams to join in, and create a new race series not commanded by Bernie Ecclestone, and Max Mosely.

Even the slightest infractions 20 years ago resulted in zero driver points/ zero manufacturer points.... this is a HUGE blow, and they are allowed to continue using the car as is?

[RAMMIUS]

Hahahahaha RD is such a dumbass

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=40683

[blue8]

The tip-off (2 versions of the story)

Dennis' version:
"At the Hungarian Grand Prix on Saturday all hell broke loose, and it was not until around 11.35pm they (the stewards) moved him (Alonso) five slots," recalled Dennis

"The next morning I phone Fernando's manager to tell him what has happened.

"Fernando arrives and is pretty upset, upset by many things; upset with life, upset with this, that. He was emotional.

"In the conversation that took place he said 'I have something on my email system that is from one of the engineers'.

"There was a discussion. I got Martin (Whitmarsh) in, his manager was there, and he said it again.

"Martin and I looked at each other. I said 'What do you think?' He said 'Fernando should inform the FIA'.

"When Fernando left, I phoned the FIA and told them what happened.

"Half an hour later, Fernando's manager came back and said 'Look, I'm sorry, he was angry', and retracted everything, that it was a load of old rubbish.

"I picked up the phone again. I said 'I've been told by Fernando's manager that it's a load of old rubbish'.

"There was dialogue, we went forward. After the race he (Alonso) came into my office, apologised, shook my hand and said 'let's get on with motor-racing'.

Dennis continued: "When his manager came back and said that Fernando had lost his temper and retracted everything, I accepted it.

"I also accepted his apology after the race. Why? Why not be more aggressive?

"My job is to win the world championship. It's not for people to love and hug me. If I have difficult relationships with people, I have difficult relationships.

"You don't take your guns out and shoot them every which way. We are here to win races. It's not a bloody love in.

"I want to have positive relationships with my drivers, but it's difficult sometimes.

"But I am not going to say things that are detrimental to the interests of this team.

"I will not disclose the exact nature of the conversation I had with Fernando.

"I moved on with the intention of trying to win races, and that is what I intend to still do."

Mosley's version:
"On the morning of the Hungarian Grand Prix, Ron rang me and he said, 'I've just had Alonso in the motorhome and he says he's got information and he's threatening to give it to the Federation," he told ITV.

"So I said, 'What did you say Ron?' He replied, 'I said 'go on and hand it over'.

"I said, 'Ron, you said exactly the right thing.'

"And then Ron said, 'But there isn't any information.'

"So I said, 'So it's an empty threat?'

"And he replied: 'Yes, a completely empty threat. There's no information, there's nothing to come out; I can assure you that if there was something, Max, I would have told you.'"


-- Although his manager denies it, I really think Al0nso will leave or be kicked out of McLaren by the end of the season. To further fuel this insight, Flavio has also delayed (again) the announcement of Renault's drivers next season.

-- Mercedes-Benz, Santander and Mutua Madrilena 'has re-pledged its support to McLaren.'

[ZfrkS62]

^ i think it's a really stupid move for Mercedes to stay aligned with McLaren. They obviously have their powertrain sorted out, why not go to a controversy free team like Redbull? I'm sure they would love to have a competitive car for once. Neither the Ferrari or Cosworth engines are getting them anywhere, so why not go with a known competitive powertrain?

[5vz-fe]

^The engine maybe reliable in Mclaren, but it may not be in another chassis. Merc prolly develope the engine along side the MP4-22 this time.

[RC45]

Odd how the New England Patriots just got bent over and fucked for spying on the opposing defense's signals....

WTF is going on in the sporting world?!?!?!

Quite frankly, I think the "you cant look at other teams signals" and "you cant steal design ideas from competitors " type rules are pretty stupid.

If your team doesnt actually take steroids or stab other players in the eye, or you car isnt actually made of dissallowed materials or is incorrect dimensions then you really are not cheating.

I think what this really shows is just what a bunch of whining pussy layabouts modern sports controlling bodies are ;)

[novass]

Odd how the New England Patriots just got bent over and fucked for spying on the opposing defense's signals....

WTF is going on in the sporting world?!?!?!

Quite frankly, I think the "you cant look at other teams signals" and "you cant steal design ideas from competitors " type rules are pretty stupid.

If your team doesnt actually take steroids or stab other players in the eye, or you car isnt actually made of dissallowed materials or is incorrect dimensions then you really are not cheating.

I think what this really shows is just what a bunch of whining pussy layabouts modern sports controlling bodies are ;)

I get your point. Everyone in every sport looks to their competitors to see what they are doing different and try to emulate that. Thats why sports teams look at footage of previous games, etc.

I think the difference here though is that McLaren wasn't just looking at what Ferrari was doing and trying to re-create it, they were flat out copying it and using actual Ferrari data to help them do so. That, I consider cheating. It would be no different than stealing another team's playbook. Certainly everyone in Formula 1 could be guilty of copying their opponents, that is why all the cars look so similar and have similar features, but none of the other teams seem to have resorted to stealing.

[Mattk]

Yeah, what they did was not just gleaning ideas, it was stealing information. That sort of stuff is a criminal offence. I guess the drivers weren't penalised because they weren't directly involved.

[bmagni]

I guess 2007 will be called the year an F1 team had a 1-2-3-4 finish! :P

[RAMMIUS]

Mosley has a point

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=40736

[gangajas]

The transcription of the other day meeting in Paris:

http://rapidshare.com/files/56770977/Transcript.rar.html

Some parts are censored, to read those parts you just have to copy and paste to Word.

[blue8]

McLaren won't appeal
McLaren won't appeal last Thursday's World Motor Sport Council verdict, according to team boss Ron Dennis.

Last week McLaren were stripped of all their Constructors' Championship points for the season and handed a $100m fine by the WMSC after being found guilty of using Ferrari secrets in this year's Championship.

McLaren had until Friday 5pm (CET) to appeal the verdict but announced at the 11th hour that they would accept the punishment, although still protested their innocence.

'Having now had time to study the judgement of the World Motor Sport Council with its lawyers and shareholders, McLaren thinks it is in the best interests of the sport, and its goal of winning races and World Championships, not to appeal,' the team said in a statement.

'It is clear from the full judgement that the World Motor Sport Council concluded that the charge that a McLaren employee had "unauthorised possession of documents and confidential information" was proven.

'Despite the existence of no evidence that the information was applied, tested or shared with the engineering team (which it was not), this possession constitutes a breach of the Code.

'To our regret and embarrassment, the content of the previously unknown emails demonstrated possession not being limited to a single person, albeit unsanctioned in any way by the team. For this breach of Article 151c, a very heavy penalty has been imposed on the team.

'The major principle of the issue for McLaren is: this information was not used to gain advantage on its cars.

'Moving forwards, and in consultation with our shareholders, we will now review and further strengthen our internal compliance structures and processes.'

Team boss Ron Dennis, who has borne the brunt of McLaren's Stepneygate woes, is keen to put the matter behind him and move on as his drivers challenge for the 2007 Drivers' Championship title.

"We believe the time has come to put this huge distraction behind us. McLaren wants to win races and World Championships," he said.

"We are fortunate to have, and continue to receive, unwavering support from our employees, sponsor partners and Formula 1 fans across the world - all of whom are equally keen that we totally focus on winning this year's Drivers' Championship and the remaining three races of the season."

It's official then:
http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/8085/f1ferrarims2.jpg

[5vz-fe]

FIA have released confidential info of Mclaren and Ferrari by accident

http://www.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/070922154959.shtml

[bmagni]

its two posts above yours

[5vz-fe]

ops :P~

[bmagni]

not that you stanned, but as a download :D

[dutchmasterflex]

Hahaha.. FIA doesn't even know how to use computers

[DeMoN]

Now McLaren should charge the FIA for 200$ yeah seems fair to me... they gave every OTHER team McLaren/Ferrari information so now the other teams have an advantage.

[Bizi Jones]

well its not like the blacked out parts held any secrets...I bet every team has that 780 pg folder...where's that msn pic of Nige sending it to Mike...lol

[5vz-fe]

Now McLaren should charge the FIA for 200$ yeah seems fair to me... they gave every OTHER team McLaren/Ferrari information so now the other teams have an advantage.

Ah, now you decided to show up :P~

[DeMoN]

Yeah college has taken a toll on my free time. Have enough time to read a bit here a bit planetf1.com and watch F1 =)

[pitfield]

growup

[blue8]

Nigel Stepney is pressing ahead with plans to publish his autobiography next year.

The former Ferrari mechanic, who has been at the centre of the spy controversy between Ferrari and McLaren, is hoping to publish the book himself early next year.

It comes just a week after original publisher Red Mist Books announced it was no longer involved in the book.

Stepney has set up his own website for the launch of his autobiography, with all proceeds from sales of 'Red Mist' going to charity.

http://www.nigel-stepney.com/

I know everyone's focused on the fight to the championship but I couldn't resist. This is too funny! Pathetic!

[5vz-fe]

I really hope that he do a book signing tour so that F1 fans from around the world can throw things at him.