Analysis: the remarkable Stepneygate saga

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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 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

However, 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.

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McLaren reassure Ferrari about leaked data

By Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, July 4th 2007, 12:38 GMT


McLaren say no intellectual property from the Ferrari team has been used in the design of their cars.

Rivals Ferrari have accused their former technical manager Nigel Stepney of passing secrets to McLaren after searching the house of chief designer Mike Coughlan in England on Tuesday.

McLaren did not name Coughlan but said their employee had been suspended pending an investigation into the receipt of classified information.

However, the British team said on Wednesday that, after a thorough investigation, they could confirm that no Ferrari intellectual property has been used in their cars, and that no other member of their team had received the information.

"Following our statement of 3rd July 2007, McLaren has completed a thorough investigation and can confirm that no Ferrari intellectual property has been passed to any other members of the team or incorporated into its cars," said the team in a statement.

McLaren also invited the FIA to conduct a full review of the cars.

"McLaren has in the meanwhile openly disclosed these matters to the FIA and Ferrari and sought to satisfy any concerns that have arisen from this matter," the statement added.

"In order to address some of the speculation McLaren has 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.

"No further comment will be made."

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Dennis: McLaren have done nothing wrong

By Jonathan Noble Thursday, July 5th 2007, 16:59 GMT


An emotional Ron Dennis insisted on Thursday that his McLaren team would never act 'incorrectly', as he predicted them to be cleared of any wrongdoing in the spy investigation surrounding chief designer Mike Coughlan.

In the wake of Coughlan facing a legal investigation about Ferrari documents allegedly found in his position, Dennis said his team were ready to prove they were not involved in Coughlan's actions.

Clearly upset that his own team's uprightness had been called into question over the matter, Dennis fought back the tears at the opening of his new Brand Centre motorhome to state that he would never sanction any illegal activities.

"I live and breath this team," said Dennis before taking a lengthy pause and composing himself. "And there is no way anything incorrect would ever happen in our team. Thanks."

McLaren have suspended Coughlan after Ferrari began their legal action earlier this week. The team have also made it clear that there is no intellectual property owned by Ferrari that features on their McLaren car.

Dennis, a man who prides himself on his honesty, made it clear that the events of the past week had not been easy for him to deal with.

"It has been a difficult two or three days, especially for me," said Dennis. "My personal integrity is very important to me and my company's integrity is even more important to me. The press releases we have put out really say everything.

"We are in a process. We are working closely with the FIA and closely with Ferrari.

"This matter does not involve our company. Of course, that is not the way understandably everybody sees it at the moment. Some of you (the media) have been very supportive of McLaren, I think some of you have been a little harsh on McLaren.

"But I understand depending which country you are in, and depending on the information you have available to you, you are going to form opinions."

Dennis was sure that the FIA and Ferrari investigations would clear his team of having done anything wrong.

"I am absolutely confident that with the passing of time, and it is a little difficult to put any timing on it, you will see and the world will understand that McLaren's position is one that is reflective of our statements," he explained.

"We have never to my knowledge, and certainly over the past few months over this period, ever used other people's intellectual property. It is not on our car. I am sure the FIA will confirm that either now or in the future, and that is the key message.

"We are both ourselves, the FIA and Ferrari, going through a very careful process. And I have a complete confidence in the outcome. We are (also) completely focused on this week's Grand Prix, an important Grand Prix for us."

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Stepney, Coughlan approached Honda

By Jonathan Noble Friday, July 6th 2007, 16:31 GMT


Honda Racing have become embroiled in the espionage scandal surrounding Nigel Stepney after admitting on Friday that they were approached by the former Ferrari engineer and McLaren's Mike Coughlan for jobs earlier this year.

Just minutes after McLaren boss Ron Dennis said that he had been informed of fresh developments in the affair by an unidentified 'third party', Honda issued a statement confirming speculation that they too were involved in the spy scandal.

"Given the speculation surrounding the legal investigations at Ferrari and McLaren, the Honda Racing F1 Team would like to clarify that earlier this year Nigel Stepney, formerly of Scuderia Ferrari, requested a meeting with Nick Fry, Chief Executive Officer of the Honda Racing F1 Team," said the team in a statement.

"Nigel Stepney subsequently met in June of this year with Nick Fry and brought with him Mike Coughlan of McLaren, with a view to investigating job opportunities within the Honda Racing F1 Team.

"Honda would like to stress that at no point during this meeting was any confidential information offered or received. Nick Fry informed Jean Todt and Ron Dennis of the meeting and has offered to provide any information required by Ferrari and McLaren."

Speculation that more teams than McLaren and Ferrari were involved in the Stepney affair had been mounting over the day at Silverstone -  with insiders suggesting that Honda would also be dragged into the matter.

Although team boss Nick Fry refused several times during the course of the day to comment on the situation, in the end the statement was published in a bid to quell the mounting rumours about the level of his and Honda's involvement in the case.

The confirmation of Honda's situation, and the nature of Fry's meeting with the two espionage suspects, makes it increasingly likely that the controversy is more about Stepney and Coughlan looking at future job prospects than out-and-out espionage.

Dennis reiterated his belief that McLaren would be cleared of any wrongdoing in the matter, after confirming that fresh clarity had been brought to his view of the situation by a conversation between himself, Todt and Fry earlier in the day.

"Three team principals discussed this situation this morning," he said. "Again it creates in some ways more clarity.

"I want to be very correct in this process. The first thing that I did when I first learnt of this problem was to phone Jean Todt. The second was to phone Max Mosley and from the beginning we have been cooperative.

"We immediately brought independent people into the company to analyse and go through a process. I feel that as much as the reputation of McLaren has been challenged and in some instances, all instances, unfairly challenged, the important thing is to set an example and to behave in a very correct way.

"I can give a full and detailed understanding to everybody about what has happened over the last few months, but it is just inappropriate. The way of the world is that all the truth comes out.

"Probably the thing that I have learned more than anything over the last few days is how fast people are prepared to jump into severe criticism of McLaren when it has had, certainly in the last 20 odd years, an impeccable reputation in every aspect of how it conducts its racing team and how it conducts its business affairs."

And pre-empting Honda's confirmation about Coughlan and Stepney's approach, he said: "Over the next 48 hours there will definitely be more information available to people and some of that will give a better insight into motives and what lies behind some people's actions. But it is not for me to criticise. We will let things unfold.

"This is all being conducted under civil law and therefore there are no police involved. But this does not mean there it does not follow a proper procedure. Too many people are quick to jump and criticise, and effectively condemn, but as in most things in life the truth will come out. I doubt there will be many apologies afterwards but the truth will come out."

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Q & A with Max Mosley

By Jonathan Noble Saturday, July 7th 2007, 17:05 GMT


Q. Can you explain a little about how the FIA is involved in the Nigel Stepney affair?

Max Mosley: Our job is to ensure that there is sporting equity between the teams, and that everything is fair and properly run. So to that end we have obviously instituted an inquiry into the whole thing and both teams are cooperating fully in giving us all the information we seek. When we have got that information we will decide what to do.

We are concerned solely with the sporting aspect, and only with the team - not with the individuals who are outside our control. They don't have licences, so it is Ferrari and McLaren we are concerned with.

Q. So you have to work out whether there has been a breach of the Sporting Regulations?

MM: What we focus on is whether there has been a breach of the International Sporting Code.

Q. Does this go behind just intellectual property in terms of the benefit a team may have had?

MM: It depends how you define intellectual property.

Q. Well, what about beyond just actual designed parts?

MM: It is not just designs, it is all other sorts of other information. For example if you knew precisely the procedure that a car went through at the start it would be useful, or the procedures people might have for saving fuel. There is endless information and things, and we simply don't know. We are looking into it now.

Apart from that, there is also the question of whether any of that information actually went into McLaren. And obviously whether it did or whether it didn't makes a big difference.

Q. So you can confirm that the investigation goes beyond the pure design aspects. You will look at every bit of information that there was?

MM: The thing is, if you know enough about a team, and you knew everything that a team did, this would undoubtedly be helpful in all sorts of ways. It is not really fair if one team has that information about another team. But we don't yet know what information there was, to what degree it was passed on. We are in the process of looking into that.

Q. Where you do believe collective responsibility starts and ends in terms of the actions of a rogue employee?

MM: Well, that is in the Formula One regulations. A team is responsible for its personnel.

Q. Is the FIA involved with the police in this investigation?

MM: The only police that I think are involved are in Italy. I don't believe there are any police involved in England. We are not concerned with any police or civil action that might be taking place at the moment. We are simply interested in whether or not there has been a breach of the Sporting Code.

Q. Bernie Ecclestone said that even if McLaren were found guilty, you would not punish the drivers. Do you agree with that?

MM: That is wrong. It is incorrect.

Q. So even the drivers could be punished?

MM: I don't want to speculate on what might happen, but it is only in the most absolute exceptional circumstances that a penalty for a team is different from a penalty for the driver.

Q. How serious are the FIA treating this matter?

MM: We are taking it very seriously because the credibility of Formula One and sporting fairness is at stake. I think it is important at the end that everybody knows what has happened, that if people turn out to be completely blameless that this is made clear, and that there has been a proper and credible investigation that makes that clear.

Q. What is the process that you will go through with the investigation?

MM: In all probability the matter will be dealt with by the (FIA) World Council, which will then decide in light of the information in front of it what, if anything, they should do.

Q. Is there a possibility to have two different verdicts, one from the sporting side of things and one on the civil side?

MM: Well, the legal thing is a completely different thing. As far as we are concerned it is just trying to make sure that the sport is run fairly. That one team does not have an unfair advantage over another team. That is all we are concerned with.

Anything to do with who took which documents where, and any civil or criminal aspects, that is completely separate. That concerns the individuals. We are only concerned with the team because the team are the only thing we have any authority on.

Q. Do you think your verdict on the matter will come quickly?

MM: I think with our inquiry, I would be very disappointed if we haven't got to the end of this from a sporting point of view within the next three weeks or so.

Q. Have you been involved in any discussions with Jean Todt, Ron Dennis and Nick Fry?

MM: I have had no conversations at all with Nick Fry because if he did or did not have a meeting with the engineers, then that is entirely between him and the engineers. There are no rules against meeting other people's engineers.

I have had conversations with Jean and Ron, and they have been along the lines of trying to gather the facts and understand what is happening. I must say that Ron has been completely open with me. He immediately rang me to tell me what is going on, and his conduct in that respect has been impeccable. And Jean the same.

[fasteddy]

Stepney denies giving Coughlan documents

By Biranit Goren Saturday, July 7th 2007, 22:59 GMT


? Nigel Stepney's full account of the affair

Nigel Stepney has publicly denied any wrongdoing in the espionage affair that has revolved around him, rejecting accusations that he had transferred secret Ferrari documents to McLaren's chief designer Mike Coughlan.

Stepney has been under criminal investigation in Italy following action taken by Ferrari, who accused the Briton of stealing information from the team's Maranello factory and transferring it to other Formula One teams.

McLaren have suspended Coughlan earlier this week after a house search allegedly unravelled hundreds of documents belonging to Ferrari, while the Italian dismissed Stepney when he was on vacation in the Philippines.

Stepney returned to Italy on Wednesday to face the criminal charges against him, but he has since left the country to an unknown location, claiming he was in danger while there.

"There have been high-speed car chases," Stepney told the Sunday Times, in an exclusive interview with a select group of British journalists.

"We've been followed by more than one car, with Italian plates, and when we cornered one of them last Thursday evening the men in it refused to speak.

"I don't believe they were journalists. [Girlfriend] Ash has been stalked at the house. There was tracking gear on my car. Someone was going to get hurt. I had no option but to get out of Italy."

Stepney was also adamant that he had done nothing wrong, specifically denying the claims that he had transferred to Coughlan hundreds of confidential pages from the Ferrari factory.

"I categorically deny that I copied them [the documents], or that I sent them to Mike Coughlan," Stepney told the newspaper. "I knew I was being watched all the time at the factory and that everything I did or said was being reported back and that people knew whenever I accessed files on the computer.

"I have no idea how anything came into Mike's possession. If he has some documents, they came from another source."

Stepney also said he was a victim of Ferrari's internal politics, saying his trouble began when he told the team management he was unhappy with his job.

'Ferrari took that badly," Stepney said. "I began to feel like I was some sort of traitor. As soon as I went against the system at Ferrari, I got squeezed.

"I'm anxious, naturally, but I haven't done anything wrong."

Nigel Stepney's full account of the affair:

"The first sign of a potential problem came in September last year when Ross Brawn said he would be taking a sabbatical and the technical management structure would be changing.

"I wanted to report to Aldo Costa, the head of chassis design. He was the right person to respond to. I didn't want to respond to Mario Almondo, the new technical director.

"By mid February, the relationship had started to break down. I couldn't work with them. I missed the one-to-one relationship with Ross. He knew exactly what I could do; I always had 100 per cent support from Ross. Now I had four or five people to report to. It was very frustrating.

"I told Jean Todt I didn't want to travel any more. I wanted to sit back and consider the future. Ferrari took that badly.

"My role became head of performance development based at the factory. I began to feel like I was some sort of traitor, just because I no longer wanted to travel.

"At that stage, I wasn't looking anywhere else. But whenever I discussed anything with people in the factory in the course of doing my job, it got fed back to senior management. People became scared to talk to me.

"I was put in a position where it was difficult to do my job. By the end of March the situation was unbearable. I started to look at other teams, and approached [Honda team chief] Nick Fry.

"I met up with Mike [Coughlan] at the end of April. I'd had one meeting with Nick and didn't want to go into a second one alone.

"At first, Mike wasn't looking at a move, although he was unhappy with the McLaren management. Then, three or four people at Ferrari indicated to me, after reading stories of my approach to Honda, that they would be interested in joining a technical group to go to another team. They wanted to follow us to go into a structure in which they felt comfortable.

"I categorically deny that any technical information passed between Mike and I during that meeting, or at any time.

"We mainly discussed the sort of infrastructure and tools we would need to get the job done in another team. I saw the future as helping to put such a structure into place at Honda.

"You don't just take one team's structure and bang it into another team. These things have to evolve, but Mike and I agreed to pool our expertise and talked about what we could bring to a team.

"Then we met Nick Fry together on 1 June at Heathrow.

"On 17 May, when there were legal moves against me by Ferrari, people were taken from the factory to the Carabinieri (Italian police) headquarters to be interviewed, but no charges were made against anyone.

"My house in Serramazzoni has been raided twice.

"After the thing with the Carabinieri, I called Jean Todt to say I was going on holiday to the Philippines - I'd filled in the relevant form but it was on my desk and I hadn't handed it in - and wouldn't be coming back until this was all sorted out. We haven't spoken since.

"I admit it looks blatantly obvious, but something is happening inside Ferrari.

"I was accused by Mario Almondo of taking some drawings. I had them in my possession legitimately because I needed them for work on the simulator, but it was reported to him by the drawing office that I had them. I got the papers and threw them on Almondo's desk. The next day they were back on mine!

"I categorically deny that I copied them, or that I sent them to Mike Coughlan. I knew I was being watched all the time at the factory and that everything I did or said was being reported back and that people knew whenever I accessed files on the computer.

"I have no idea how anything came into Mike's possession. I don't even know for sure that he has had documents. Do you know for sure? Categorically, he didn't get them from me. If he has some, then they came from another source.

"I would be a bit stupid to go anywhere if I had such material, wouldn't I? I put a lot of the systems and working practices in place at Ferrari, relating to the operations of the test and race teams and the preparation of the cars, information I am told was supposed to be in the documents.

"I had worked on them with Ross and Aldo Costa. So if I already had all that material in my head, why would I need it all again? I am seriously doubtful that Mike has these documents.

"I have nothing to hide; I might as well have left the keys to my house with the caretaker so anyone from Ferrari could go in.

"Ferrari is terrified that what I have in my mind is valuable. I guess I know where the bodies are buried from the last ten years; and there were a lot of controversies in that time.

"But do you think (chief designer) Nicolas Tombazis came to Ferrari from McLaren without something in his mind? The new Ferrari front end aero came from McLaren, because it was in his head.

"I'm just a bit confused. I was never a yes man and as soon as I went against the system at Ferrari, I got squeezed.

"I started to get the blame for things, and began to feel framed. I have been accused, but have not been charged with anything; right now, there is just an investigation. But I feel like I am in the wilderness.

"Ferrari is unique in Italy; it's a religion. If you go against it, it's like going against the Vatican.

"I'm anxious, naturally, but I haven't done anything wrong and I believe in the legal system in Italy."

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Q & A with Jean Todt on the spy affair

By Jonathan Noble Sunday, July 8th 2007, 17:36 GMT


Q. Have you read the interview with Nigel Stepney that appeared this morning? And can you give us some details on the case on Tuesday?

Jean Todt: The situation unfortunately is quite clear. To the first part of the question, yes I have been reading the magazines that have been writing about that. But unfortunately at the moment I am not allowed to make any kind of comment. But as I have said before, it is just a question of time to have more details.

I wish I could answer and be more detailed, already now, but as it is a court case I am simply not allowed. If you analyse all the different official statements that have been done, there are some people involved in it and you can clearly make your own judgement from what has been officially stated and what was in some interview.

But at the High Court there will be a public hearing next Tuesday.

Q. I understand that you cannot comment on the court proceedings, but Nigel Stepney has categorically denied handing any information over. Are you satisfied that there is nobody else involved in this?

JT: I think we have to, how can I say, stop talking about that for the time being. I am simply not allowed to speak about it because it is a court case. So don't ask me if it is only one, two or three (people). The things will come over the next days, over the next weeks, and then when everything is settled then probably it will be easier for us to comment and to answer to details.

But at the moment unfortunately I am not in the position to talk. There is a court case happening - one in Italy and one in the UK.

Q. How difficult has it been to keep the team, the drivers and the mechanics concentrated on just this race considering everything that has been going on?

JT: Quite easy. Fortunately I have said very often, inside the team there is a very good spirit. People are focused. They want to see how to improve the situation, how to move forward in the championship. And we try to leave them away from it.

I am not happy about the situation. I feel it is unnecessary to arrive at this type of situation, but unfortunately that is a situation we have to face. Considering the team, it is not something where they are involved, they are aware of it, and the only thing they try to do is be competitive.

Q. I know you cannot talk about Ron Dennis and Mike Coughlan personally, but Ron Dennis has said he is convinced his team are innocent of all the problems and it is only an isolated case. Do you believe Ron and if the team are found guilty that they should be penalised for being involved in this scandal?

JT: I understand that some of you have spoken with the president of the FIA over the weekend, and I think he is in a better situation to answer than me. So we will have to answer some questions from the FIA in the coming days, and from that that will be their problem.

Q. Do you believe that McLaren are innocent?

JT: It is not a question to believe or not to believe. At the moment I am sure I am not able to comment about those facts.

Q. Can I ask you a procedural question? With the court case on Tuesday, can you just confirm the individuals who are going to be named in that court case and what the accusation is against them?

JT: The first procedure was our lawyers, together with some independent experts, went to visit the house of one of the top management people from a competitors' team. They decided after that, that they have some facts, which allowed them to move forward. And to move forward is to go to the High Court on Tuesday.

Q. Ron Dennis said at the press conference earlier this weekend that you spoke with him and you mentioned that you believed in his integrity and the integrity of the team. Can you confirm what you said?

JT: It is true that Ron called me a few times, since the information came officially. But I am not going to comment on the telephone discussions we had.

Q. With all that has happened in the last week, will this have any bearing on the future of Ross Brawn and his decision. Is he still talking to Ferrari about coming to Ferrari?

JT: We are talking about two completely different matters. Ross is a great guy; he had some fantastic achievements at Ferrari. He decided to take a sabbatical year. I don't want to speak for him, but he is very sad knowing all that has happened. We are all very sad about what has happened.

And there is nothing that will interfere in the choices we have to make for the future. It is something you should ask him, and it is true to say that I mentioned we will meet over the next weeks, and I confirm that we will meet over the next weeks.

Q. It has been written that Ferrari took action after being tipped off by an individual in a copy shop in England, which seems bizarre. Can you confirm that?

JT: I cannot confirm that. But as I said, I can understand the question. But it will come out very quickly and then you will, or you will not, have some answers to the questions that you may want to have answered. All of that will be covered.

Q. Honda have confirmed that they spoke to Nigel Stepney and Mike Coughlan. Are you happy that they are no longer involved in the investigation?

JT: Again, I don't have everything in hand to comment about that. We had a team principals' meeting on Friday, which finished about 1pm. Nick Fry came and informed me for the first time about this meeting. That was the only time I spoke with him about that.

Q. This morning in the newspapers Nigel Stepney said that he knows where, 'the bodies are buried.' Referring to processes put in place within Ferrari in the last 10 years that should remain a secret. Are you concerned that he could talk about secrets inside Ferrari, and whether or not this is a way to silence Nigel because he knows too much about it?

JT: You know. It makes me smile, and it is good sometimes. But after 10 years, or the last 14 years, it is true it is like being in the family. There are so many things that do happen. But we have had over 14 years with the team, some good times and some tough times, but nothing that cannot come out.

So you know very well in this business that if something has to come out it does not wait 10 years. We have about 900 people employed in the company, so the answer is quite easy.

Q. When it does all come out, and we find out whoever is right and whoever is wrong, do you think it is unfortunate for the image of F1 that this is happening anyway?

JT: I will let you decide about the answer. I would prefer to speak and comment about the race, the great race we had today, the problem that Felipe had, and the championship that is an interesting championship rather than having to comment on these types of things. Unfortunately that is the fact when you are facing some irresponsible people.

[fasteddy]

Interview with Nick Fry on the spy affair

By Adam Cooper Monday, July 9th 2007, 15:16 GMT


The complexion of the Ferrari spying affair changed on Friday at Silverstone when Honda announced that team CEO Nick Fry had been in contact with Nigel Stepney and Mike Coughlan.

This revelation suggested the whole affair might not be about attempts to transfer confidential Ferrari information to McLaren but rather, perhaps, an attempt by Stepney and Coughlan to take a 'dream team' package to Honda.

Of course, one big question was left hanging in the air. If this was indeed the case, why had Honda waited so long before making these facts known?

Three whole days had passed since the initial announcement on Tuesday afternoon that a McLaren employee had been suspended, and for three whole days the world at large had little choice but to assume that any information that Coughlan had allegedly received was for the purpose of benefiting McLaren and therefore, presumably, his own standing within the company.

An earlier announcement from Honda could have possibly limited the initial damage caused to McLaren. However, Fry was travelling to and from Japan on Honda business as the story broke, so his first contact with McLaren on the matter was not until Thursday, when he called McLaren F1 CEO and his personal friend Martin Whitmarsh.

However, Fry's first contact with Ferrari did not come until 1:00 pm on Friday, when he spoke to Jean Todt and Ron Dennis at the end of a Formula One team principals meeting on other matters.

It was several hours later, after Dennis had made it clear in a regularly scheduled FIA press conference that a third team was involved, that Honda put out a public statement.

Honda's press release was very carefully worded. "Earlier this year Nigel Stepney, formerly of Scuderia Ferrari, requested a meeting with Nick Fry and brought with him Mike Coughlan of McLaren, with a view to investigating job opportunities within the Honda Racing F1 team.

"Honda would like to stress that at no point during the meeting was any confidential information offered or received. Nick Fry informed Jean Todt and Ron Dennis of the meeting and has offered to provide any information required by Ferrari and McLaren."

The timing of informing Todt and Dennis was not specified, while intriguingly, none of the official documentation from Ferrari or McLaren to this point had actually named Coughlan.

Sources close to Ferrari have made it clear that the management was not impressed by Honda's slow response. The feeling at Maranello is apparently that Fry should even have contacted Todt and Dennis as soon as Stepney and Coughlan appeared together, as this twin approach was a 'strange' situation.

To be fair to Fry, that idea seems a little far fetched, because teams have contacts with other people's employees all the time - confidentiality is a two-way street, and if someone sounds you out about job opportunities, you don't go telling their current boss.

However, the story did change as of Tuesday, especially as it became a legal matter. At that stage Fry and Honda clearly did have an opportunity to clarify matters with McLaren and Ferrari.

Of course, the priority of team bosses is to look after the interests of their companies, and it could be argued that everyone would have done the same in Fry's position - explore all avenues that might benefit the team and not get involved when other people's dirty washing is done in public.

But at team principal level, there can be a surprising degree of respect and trust when the big picture is being discussed, and the feeling at both Ferrari and McLaren is that Honda could have handled the situation differently.

There is no evidence to suggest that Honda or Fry did anything improper, or that they knew about the existence of any Ferrari documents. Indeed, had they ultimately signed up Coughlan and Stepney's 'dream team,' possibly involving the extra four Ferrari stuff Stepney says were willing to come along too, the team could have been congratulated for a great coup.

It's only natural to look to Ferrari and McLaren to find people with the ability to improve your fortunes. Folk at other struggling teams might even have asked themselves - why didn't those guys call us?

Fry says that he was talking to lots of people, and some appointments have already been made and announced.

It's not really clear how far any discussions with Stepney/Coughlan proceeded or who else at Honda was in the loop and aware that the pair were in contact with the team.

The story continued to develop through the weekend, and on Sunday Stepney revealed to the Sunday Times that he had an earlier meeting with Fry, and had only taken Coughlan to a second one.

Later on Sunday morning, autosport.com caught up with Nick Fry. He confirmed that there was an earlier meeting with Stepney at the beginning of May, prior to the one that involved Coughlan on June 1, both having taken place at Heathrow airport.

Q: Can you clarify the situation with regard to Nigel Stepney and Mike Coughlan?

Nick Fry: "I think people love the conspiracy theories and whatever, but to me they were just two guys who wanted a job. The discussions we had was in line with similar discussions we had with lots of other people."

Q: In June, the 'white powder' stories came out. What was your reaction to that - did it make you suspicious or confused?

Fry: "Not so much suspicious or confused, but when that type of thing happens, then clearly you wonder what's been going on. It wasn't of any great concern to us, because as I say they were just two guys who'd come along for an interview.

"I did wonder whether there were other things going on. Certainly in America (during the US GP), when rumours started of the police getting involved, then it was looked on from our side more or less just of interest rather than anything else, because we didn't have any involvement beyond interviewing them."

Q: The big question is about what happened this week. When McLaren issued the statement on Tuesday afternoon that they suspended a senior staff member, what was your reaction to that? There are suggestions that you could have reacted quicker

Fry: "There's no reason. I think that's a ludicrous suggestion, probably put forward by McLaren. McLaren did something on Tuesday when I was on my way to Japan, as it happens. There was no reason at that point for me to ring up a competitor and say 'oh by the way, we just interviewed one of your chaps'.

"I mean, you interview people on the basis that it is confidential, and if people thought that you were instantly going to ring up their boss and say, 'oh by the way...', you'd be giving away a lot of trust there.

"Logistically, firstly McLaren hadn't mentioned Mike Coughlan's name, so it would have been bizarre for me to ring up and make that telephone call at that stage. Secondly, I was en route to Japan and was in Japan on Wednesday. When I got back on Thursday afternoon, which was 4:00 pm into Heathrow, my PR lady briefed me that from other sources - probably Nigel - mentioned had been made that I'd seen both of them. And at that point I phoned Martin Whitmarsh.

"That was around 5:00 pm on Thursday afternoon. I landed at 4:00 pm and within an hour, having been briefed, I rang Martin and said, 'It's now got this far, and Mike's name is clearly out in the open, just be aware that he did come and see me. Nothing was offered and nothing was accepted.'

"Then Friday morning I saw Ron and Jean, and we discussed it a bit further. To us it is an issue between McLaren and Ferrari, and if the FIA would like to see copies of emails from us, we're more than happy to provide them, on the basis that they are 'let's meet at 6:00 pm on blah, blah, blah'."

Q: I understand your position that you are an innocent party, haven't seen any information, and were just talking to them. But from the point of view of the situation that McLaren were put in, couldn't you have said something that limited the damage?

Fry: "Again, why would I want to do that? It was nothing to do with us."

Q: But in terms of your personal relationship with other team bosses, has that been damaged by all this?

Fry: "No, not at all. I'm not concerned in the least, and they would have behaved in exactly the same way. There's no reason to get involved until the point where it was clear that the person's name was out in the open. They wouldn't ring me up and say 'by the way, we've just interviewed one of your people'."

Q: But the fact that it had become a legal situation as of Tuesday made things different...

Fry: "A legal situation where McLaren hadn't named the person, and still hasn't, as I understand it."

Q: Well, you named him

Fry: "That's by the by. But all I've named is someone we've interviewed."

[fasteddy]

Analysis: Ferrari see Coughlan in court

By Biranit Goren Tuesday, July 10th 2007, 15:10 GMT


Ferrari are seeking a search order for a computer 'in possession of a third party', which has been used by McLaren's chief designer Mike Coughlan, it has emerged today.

It is believed Ferrari's request relates to Coughlan's workstation at McLaren, although the specific details of Ferrari's application were not made public.

The hearing at Court 59 in London's High Court today followed up on a search order granted by the court last week, with the judge consenting to transfer to Ferrari the material recovered during that search.

The search at Coughlan's house recovered two computer discs, which are said to include 780 confidential pages with technical information belonging to Ferrari.

These discs have since been held by an independent supervising solicitor appointed by the court, but today Ferrari requested these discs will be transferred to them, and with no objection from Coughlan's lawyer, the right honourable Judge Briggs has consented.

Another request made in today's application relates to permitting Ferrari to hand over the information and material so far gathered under the court order to the Italian legal authorities, where a criminal investigation is held against ex-Ferrari employee Nigel Stepney.

Ferrari are bound by the court to keep all information tied to the case in confidence and may not transfer the information to anyone, including the Modena district attorney or the FIA, without the court's permission.

Judge Briggs is set to hear Ferrari's arguments tomorrow and could make a decision then.

But tomorrow's session, at 10:30am, will primarily centre around Mike Coughlan's affidavit - or lack of it.

Coughlan was ordered by the court to provide an affidavit detailing his involvement in this case and how he came in possession of Ferrari's documents.

But his attorney asked today for a continuance, saying it is yet unclear whether or not Coughlan's affidavit could be self-incriminating and used against him in criminal proceedings in Italy.

Coughlan is not named as a defendant in the Modenese court case, while the London case is a civil one.

His lawyer explained that they are still waiting for clarification regarding the Italian law, apparently concerned that Coughlan's affidavit could then be used to bring criminal charges against him in Italy.

Ferrari's lawyers, however, argued that Coughlan, who so far co-operated with the court-ordered search and subsequent investigation, has already waived any privilege against self-incrimination.

The court adjourned the debate until tomorrow, at which time Coughlan either provides an affidavit, or the two sides argue whether or not he can claim privilege. Coughlan's lawyer must, however, inform Ferrari's lawyers this afternoon what he decides to do, to allow them to prepare for tomorrow's hearing.

If Coughlan decides to argue privilege, it will be down to Judge Briggs to decide whether to accept this or not, and that decision may not necessarily be made immediately tomorrow.

Ferrari's lawyers emphasized the importance of such affidavit, stating there are a few crucial questions that remain unanswered or unclear.

Firstly, they pointed to a discrepancy in the dates of the events. According to the evidence gathered from the photocopying agency, which tipped Ferrari off to begin with, the documents were copied, scanned or printed on or around the 2nd or 3rd of May.

McLaren's statement last week said Coughlan obtained Ferrari's documents at the end of April, and Ferrari are not satisfied with the explanations so far provided to them by Coughlan on how exactly he obtained these documents and what he did with them thereafter.

Furthermore, Ferrari want to know when exactly Coughlan told McLaren team manager Jonathan Neale about these documents - although the Italians made it clear they are not taking legal action against Neale himself.

All the while, Coughlan himself sat at the back row of Court 59 looking despondent and perhaps overwhelmed. His affidavit, should he end up submitting it, will no doubt shed light on this entire affair. But that affidavit too will not be made public, not just yet. And for now, at least where the media is concerned, Coughlan maintains his silence.

[fasteddy]

Ferrari, Coughlans reach agreement

By Biranit Goren Wednesday, July 11th 2007, 10:04 GMT


The court hearing scheduled for this morning in the matter of Ferrari versus Mike Coughlan has been cancelled after the Italian team and the McLaren chief designer reached an agreement late last night.

Autosport.com understands Coughlan and his wife Trudy have agreed to submit a sworn affidavit to Ferrari outlining all they know in the espionage affair and continue to cooperate with Ferrari's investigation.

In return, Ferrari have agreed to withdraw their request to the High Court to make the information and material collected - including the affidavit - in their application against Coughlan, available to the Modena district attorney in Italy.

Coughlan did not provide his affidavit yesterday as it was unclear if it could be self-incriminating and used against him in criminal proceedings in Italy.

The Modena district attorney opened criminal investigation against Ferrari stalwart Nigel Stepney, after the Italian outfit filed a formal complaint against the Briton.

It remains to be seen whether any further court hearings will be scheduled in London over this affair.

[fasteddy]

Stepney ready to prove his innocence

By Michele Lostia and Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, July 18th 2007, 10:34 GMT


Nigel Stepney is ready to talk to Ferrari bosses to prove he has done nothing wrong, and says all the espionage and sabotage claims are part of a conspiracy against him.

Ferrari are taking legal action against their former engineer Stepney, whom they suspect of leaking the 780 pages of technical information allegedly found in McLaren's chief designer Mike Coughlan's home.

The Italian police are also investigating sabotage claims following the discovery of a white powder on Ferrari's cars prior to the Monaco Grand Prix. Stepney was dismissed from Ferrari at the start of this month.

Stepney has insisted, however, that he had nothing to do with any of the accusations.

"I'm ready to speak to [Ferrari principal] Jean Todt and to president [Luca di] Montezemolo," Stepney was reported as saying by his lawyers on Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I want to clear my position with Ferrari; I want to let everyone understand it's nothing to do with me.

"And I want to reveal some names of people inside Ferrari who had more interest than myself in doing what I'm unfairly accused of.

"I have nothing against the team and I could never have done such things. I repeat: it's a conspiracy."

Stepney's lawyer Sonia Bartolini added: "Nigel reiterated many times to me that he is totally innocent and that Ferrari must realise he's the victim of a conspiracy.

"If Coughlan really admitted he received certain things from him, then he will have to answer for it: because it's true they met, it's true they perhaps talked about a new work group, but our client never handed over files or documents.

"That's why he wants to meet Ferrari's lawyers or even go to Maranello: he intends to collaborate, he's confident to demonstrate he's innocent. He will also name other people inside Ferrari, because there are other people unhappy about their situation there.

"As for the letter with the sacking notice from Ferrari, it hasn't yet arrived. He still feels attached to the team."

Gazzetta dello Sport also quotes Ferrari's legal department as saying that they could consider talking to Stepney if it helps the case.

"Ferrari are ready to take in consideration every element that can shed light on the issue," they said.

Corriere della Sera also published today segments of what the newspaper says is the Modena police report on the Stepney investigation.

According to the newspaper, a policeman first interrogated Stepney on May 18th, confiscating the trousers he was wearing at the time after finding that now infamous white powder in Stepney's pockets.

"I really can't say how that sand has ended up in my pockets," the newspaper quoted Stepney as telling the police.

"Anyone could have put it there. Last night I left the trousers unattended in the changing room while I was taking a shower."

The newspaper further reports that the initial suspicions arose after a mechanic found what looks like a finely grained, sandy powder near the Ferrari F2007 cars on May 17.

Stepney was linked as a suspect because, according to Modena district attorney Giuseppe Tibis, the Briton was seen twice that day "in immediate proximity to the refuelling machine and the computers" of the two cars.

Furthermore, the police report states that an eyewitness claims to have seen Stepney supposedly emptying the left pocket of his trousers in the location where shortly after the powder was found.

Commenting on the police report, Stepney was quoted by Corriere della Sera as saying: "It's true, I emptied the pockets, as can be confirmed by a friend that was with me at the time. But I don't know how that powder ended in there."

[fasteddy]

Stepney warned Coughlan of Ferrari floor

By Jonathan Noble Thursday, July 19th 2007, 14:22 GMT


Nigel Stepney emailed McLaren's chief designer Mike Coughlan on the eve of the season to tip him off about Ferrari's moveable floor design, this week's Autosport magazine reveals.

McLaren will face an extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council next week to face charges of 'fraudulent conduct' over the possession of secret Ferrari documents from March to July this year.

The matter was originally only thought to relate to a 780-page Ferrari technical dossier, which McLaren said Coughlan had in his possession only from the end of April.

However, a reliable source has revealed to this week's Autosport magazine that the March date the FIA has referred to relates to early contact between Stepney and Coughlan.

In particular, the source says it relates to a specific email that Stepney sent to Coughlan, revealing Ferrari's floor design and tipping the McLaren designer off about taking possible action about it.

Although it is not known if Coughlan passed on this information to the team, McLaren did ask for a rule clarification about Ferrari's movable floor design at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

That action resulted in the FIA changing its floor tests and outlawing the design Ferrari ran at the time - which is believed to have hindered their form.

The background to McLaren's actions in Melbourne will likely play a key part in the FIA World Motor Sport Council hearing next week, as the sport's governing body faces the task of working out whether or not the team did anything wrong.

Autosport also reveals that the Surrey copy shop that tipped off Ferrari about Coughlan having the 780-page dossier was asked to scan the information in order to transfer it into electronic format and in to a computer disc.

It is understood that after the information had been put on disk, the actual Ferrari document was shredded and burned in Coughlan's back garden.

Coughlan is understood to have been advised to destroy the document after showing a glimpse of it to McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale at a golf club. It is not known, however, when this incident took place.

[fasteddy]

Hamilton backs McLaren in F1 spy storm

By Alan Baldwin Friday, July 20th 2007, 08:35 GMT


Championship leader Lewis Hamilton backed McLaren on Thursday to emerge unscathed from a spy controversy that threatens his Formula One title hopes.

The 22-year-old British rookie sounded more concerned with beating a bout of 'flu than the prospect of his team being punished by the sport's governing body at a meeting in Paris next Thursday.

"I've only been with the team for a year but I have known (team boss) Ron (Dennis) for nine years now and this (cheating) is something that Ron would never do," he told reporters at the European Grand Prix.

"That's why I have such great belief in the team.

"I do feel they are one of the most honest teams out there. There are always teams trying to bend the rules in some way but I honestly believe we are the most honest. I think we will be fine," added Hamilton.

McLaren have been summoned by the International Automobile Federation to answer charges of unauthorised possession of Ferrari technical information found at the home of chief designer Mike Coughlan.

Should the Mercedes-powered team be found guilty of fraudulent conduct, they could be docked points or even kicked out of the world championship. They are 25 points ahead of Ferrari.

McLaren say nobody at McLaren was aware before July 3 that the now-suspended Coughlan had Ferrari data and none of the information had been used in making the team's cars.

Hamilton, who leads double world champion teammate Fernando Alonso by 12 points at the halfway stage of the season, said the saga would not throw him off his stride.

"I have a huge amount of belief in the team, I'm very, very confident it (the hearing) is going to go well so it is not really playing on my mind at all," he said.

"I've not spoken to anyone about it and it's not something I need to focus on. I have a job to do this weekend."

Hamilton has been on the podium in all his nine races to date and could become only the third driver to string together 10 successive podium finishes.

He cautioned however that the second half of the season demanded a different approach from the first and recognised that he was everybody's target as leader.

"It gets harder and harder to continue with the performance that you've had and the consistency you have had," he said.

"In the first few races, you just go out and push to the limit and it's so close to the limit that you could easily come off and lose the race. I am not going to put the team points or my points at risk (now).

"But we still want to win and will do everything we can to win, just as always," added Hamilton.

"There's not a limit but we've got to bear in mind that we need the points. It's not about trying to win at the first corner."

[fasteddy]

Stepney warned Coughlan of Ferrari floor

By Jonathan Noble and Steve Cooper Thursday, July 19th 2007, 14:22 GMT


Nigel Stepney emailed McLaren's chief designer Mike Coughlan on the eve of the season to tip him off about Ferrari's movable floor design, this week's Autosport magazine reveals.

McLaren will face an extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council next week to face charges of 'fraudulent conduct' over the possession of secret Ferrari documents from March to July this year.

The matter was originally only thought to relate to a 780-page Ferrari technical dossier, which McLaren said Coughlan had in his possession only from the end of April.

However, a reliable source has revealed to this week's Autosport magazine that the March date the FIA has referred to relates to early contact between Stepney and Coughlan.

In particular, the source says it relates to a specific email that Stepney sent to Coughlan, revealing Ferrari's floor design and tipping the McLaren designer off about taking possible action about it.

Although it is not known if Coughlan passed on this information to the team, McLaren did ask for a rule clarification about Ferrari's movable floor design at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

That action resulted in the FIA changing its floor tests and outlawing the design Ferrari ran at the time - which is believed to have hindered their form.

The background to McLaren's actions in Melbourne will likely play a key part in the FIA World Motor Sport Council hearing next week, as the sport's governing body faces the task of working out whether or not the team did anything wrong.

Autosport also reveals that the Surrey copy shop that tipped off Ferrari about Coughlan having the 780-page dossier was asked to scan the information in order to transfer it into electronic format and in to a computer disc.

It is understood that after the information had been put on disk, the actual Ferrari document was shredded and burned in Coughlan's back garden.

Coughlan is understood to have been advised to destroy the document after showing a glimpse of it to McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale at a golf club. It is not known, however, when this incident took place.

[fasteddy]

Dennis slams affidavit leaks

By Damien Smith Saturday, July 21st 2007, 18:45 GMT


Ron Dennis criticised today recent reports allegedly quoting from chief designer Mike Coughlan's affidavit, but the McLaren team chief refused to be drawn into discussing details of the affair.

McLaren are preparing for an extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council to be held in Paris next Thursday, when the world championship leaders will face charges of 'fraudulent conduct' over the possession of secret Ferrari documents.

If found guilty, the team could be docked points or even face a multi-race ban that would derail their championship ambitions.

But while Dennis refused to give much away about his opinions of the events of the past two weeks, he did confirm that the team submitted a dossier of information to the FIA on Friday this week.

And for the first time, he also publicly named Coughlan as the employee who has been suspended from duties at the team.

"The first step was yesterday when we put in the submission to the FIA," Dennis told reporters at the Nurburgring on Saturday afternoon.

"Whilst it would be wrong to say I am looking forward to Thursday, I am eager to get into the process and put it behind us."

Earlier this week, Dennis moved to deny information published in the Italian press regarding the affidavit submitted by Coughlan to Ferrari following a hearing in London's High Court. The affidavit is confidential, and Dennis made it clear in the team statement that the information published was inaccurate.

"First of all, probably few people really understand what the circumstances surrounding this process are," he said on Saturday. "Or they certainly lack the understanding of the deeper implications of not adhering to the instructions of the court.

"The High Court ruling led ultimately to three recipients of Mike Coughlan's affidavit being told in no uncertain terms that it was privileged information, and that they would be committing a legal breach in the event of any of it being shared with third parties.

"I am quite sure the FIA understands the nature of the court order, so I can only assume the other parties who had this material have chosen to share distorted excerpts with other people.

"It is important to remember that at the end of the day it is the sworn statement of one individual in this affair, and as such, one would expect it to be the truth as he sees it. But we've not had any input in the process.

"Up until today I have not even acknowledged that Mike Coughlan is the suspended employee.

"There is a way to go through life and that is to follow the correct procedures. If other people choose to go down a different path that leads to the very damaging process where people have seen fit to spin and make derogatory remarks about the integrity of McLaren, fine. But that's not my style.

"We have given a full dossier to the FIA. The FIA is going through a process and we will follow strictly that process and after that process if there are any unanswered questions we will provide them."

A verdict from the hearing is expected on Thursday afternoon.