The Stepney Plot Thickens...Or Does It?

[Chameleon]

F1 Fanatic has a post entitled "McLaren Linked to Ferrari Espionage Scandal.  Read it here:

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2007/07/03/mclaren-linked-to-ferrari-espionage-scandal/

It all sounds a bit unlikely to me but maybe I am too innocent for this modern world...   

[raindancer]

I have and there does seem to be an issue.

[Steven Roy]

It looks like McLaren are prepared to tackle any alleged wrong doing head on.  It has invited the FIA to conduct a full review of its cars to prove that it has not gained from any intellectual property belonging to Ferrari.

http://www.crash.net/news_view~cid~1~id~150653.htm

I wonder why Mike Coughlan has been so quiet while Stepney has been so vociferous.

Adam Cooper's step by step analysis of the whole saga.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/60467

[raindancer]

Steven , This article throws up more questions that it answered.
Industrial Espionage is a real issue in F1 and teams go to extreme lengths and install various security measures. Someone like Stephny obviously would know all those and would be extremely stupid to be caught on CCTV's one of the most rudimentary surveillance devices.
Assuming he even did so, a fifth grader wouldn't keep the evidence at home. Its a no brainer.
Finding ferrari designs in someone homes is laughable. Even if the Mclaren guy has received it wouldn't he know that NIgel is under suspicion. It has been all over the world on the spat between ferrari and Nigel and the Mclaren guy should be having an IQ for 42 to keep designs at home.
Other questions?
Presumably the Mclaren engineer is on a salary. What incentive does he have to indulge in Industrial Espionage at a personal level. He will get paid whatever happens ! Unless he wanted to sell these designs to a third party and make money. Assuming so why would he very conveniently keep them at his home ?
There is more to it than that is being reported.

[Steven Roy]

I think the questions it raises are the whole point to the article.

Stepney claims to have booked his holiday through the Ferrari travel office but they deny it.  Who do you believe?

If he did have anything at his house including 2 steering wheels why would he leave them there and go on holiday?  Presumably if the intent was to pass them to Mike Coughlan he would have sent them before he went away.  What information is anyone going to get from a steering wheel?  No team is going to put anything sensitive or illegal on a wheel because half the people at a race meeting know how to remove the wheel and disappear with it.  Unless some wheels are more equal than others. 

How was he able to get all this stuff out of the factory?  Documentation is easy to hide but 2 steering wheels?

Just because Mike Coughlan received information doesn't mean he solicited it or indeed even read it. 

Coughlan and Stepney have been around for a long time and should be way to smart to get caught up in anything like this.

If Ferrari is up to some kind of dirty tricks campaign to discredit Nigel Stepney then they would love to aim some mud at McLaren as well.  If that was their aim then Mike Coughlan would be their numbe one target because he has worked with Stepney quite a bit over the years.

I am surprised Mike Coughlan's lawyers haven't made some kind of statement.

[johnbull]

A few days ago when this all started I said it was a typical Italian sham. The more I read the more convinced I get.

It's British GP time. Ferrari are afraid of another thrashing by Mc Laren. They have got to sound like the underdogs, and while they're at it put a bit of confusion and disruption into Mclaren just when they least need it.

Stepney called it dirty tricks?   I second that.

[johnbull]

This just appeared in Autosport. Read and laugh.
Who do Ferrari think they're trying to kid.

Non-F1 source tipped off Ferrari

By Jonathan Noble Thursday, July 5th 2007, 12:23 GMT


Ferrari have revealed that they were tipped off about McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan possibly having Ferrari documents by someone outside of Formula One.

In a statement issued by the Maranello outfit on Thursday, Ferrari confirmed that the team swung into action after receiving the information, and began legal proceedings through the London High Court.

The Italian squad, who on Tuesday said that "a search was carried out of the (McLaren) engineer's house", clarified on Thursday that British police had not yet been involved in the investigation.

The statement said: "Ferrari wishes to clarify that the English police have so far not been involved in investigating the theft of technical information.

"It was brought to Ferrari's attention by a third party outside Formula One racing within the last fortnight, that a senior member of the technical staff within the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team might be in possession of highly sensitive Ferrari information.

"Ferrari reviewed the evidence and consulted London lawyers towards the end of last week. Ferrari then made an urgent application to the High Court in London on 2 July for the court's assistance.

"As is usual with this kind of court order, Ferrari is currently prevented by the court from making any public statement about the information that it gained as a result of serving the court order.

"At the same time, an investigation is being carried out into the same subject by the Modena Court, therefore no further comment will be forthcoming, in order to respect the legal process in both countries."

[Chameleon]

I don't know.  The whole thing seems insane to me.  I find it impossible to believe that Stepney or Coughlan would be involved in such underhand dealings and yet, at the same time, it also would appear very short-sighted of Ferrari to make it all up.  The British end seem pretty sure that Ferrari plans were found in the Coughlan home and even McLaren seem to be admitting it.  But, as has been pointed out, what possible benefit could they be to the McLaren designer?

The world has gone mad...   

[Steven Roy]

If as Ferrari say the English police have not been involved in investigating the theft are we supposed to believe that they carried out the search and sent the evidence to the Italian police.  Since there is no 'evidence' that Mike Coughlan had possesion of the info outside the UK the only place he can be charged is the UK therefore there is no way the evidence will be let out of the country until the legal preceedings are completed.

[Mike_Grimsby]

Bernie Ecclestone and sources close to Max Mosley have allayed fears that the Ferrari-McLaren spy scandal could affect the outcome of the drivers' world championship.

F1 chief executive Ecclestone, however, warned that if McLaren is found guilty by the newly established FIA investigation, constructors' points could be docked. 
 
But he said similar fates were not likely to dent Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso's charge for the title.

Paddocktalk.com

[Steven Roy]

I read Bernie's comments in a few places today.  I will never understand how anyone can believe that the performance of the car and the driver in that car are not related.  If McLaren benefited then by definition the drivers benefited.

Quite why Bernie feels the need to specify punishments that officially at least he has no involvement in I can't understand.

[johnbull]

Quite why Bernie feels the need to specify punishments that officially at least he has no involvement in I can't understand.

My sentiments exactly. It's none of his business. The FIA decides such things.

OR DOES IT ?

[raindancer]

This Stinks and I am sure some mud will stick somewhere. But the charge and the allegations and findings appear implausible and naive and probably have been thought up by someone.
Its actually quite perplexing and I had read about what bernie said too.

[Steven Roy]

There is a quote from Ron Dennis on teletext today.
'It has been a difficult two or three days.  I live and breathe this team and there is no way anything incorrect would happen in our team.'

That seems fairly definite.

[Chameleon]

I have been extremely unsure about this whole thing (in spite of John Bull's assurances that it is typical of Italian intrigue) but today I begin to see light at the end of the tunnel.  There are too many odd facts that don't add up.

1  Stepney has returned to Italy and been interrogated by the Italian police.  Would he risk Italian justice if he were guilty?

2  It seems the British police were not involved in the raid on Coughlan's residence.  But that raises the question of who was and what right they had to do it.  Ferrari talk about getting the court's permission - but does that mean I can apply to the court to search my neighbour's house, be granted it and then carry out the search myself?  I doubt it.  Something dodgy going on there.

3  There are hints that another McLaren employee is implicated.  Apparently, the tip-off to Ferrari came from an employee of a print company who was asked by Coughlan to copy the documents - presumably so that the other McLaren employee could have his own copy.  Huh?  Are they trying to tell me that the chief designer didn't have the simple computer facilities to make his own copies?  I'll bet every one of us has a set up that could churn out as many copies as you like within minutes.  I don't buy that one.

Today I find myself coming down on the side of John Bull.  Shoulda guessed he would know what he was talking about...