F1 FIA versus McLaren Fiasco Thread

[Bartek S.]

McLaren: media reports ‘inaccurate and misleading’

McLaren have expressed their ‘extreme displeasure’ at reports claiming that important evidence in the Ferrari ‘spy scandal’ affair was found during police visits to the team’s factory earlier this week.

Investigators working as part of an ongoing Italian legal investigation visited both McLaren’s Woking base and the homes of team executives on Wednesday. Subsequent press stories have suggested that incriminating material relating to the case was discovered.

However, according to a statement released by McLaren on Friday, Italian police have not even been given access to the material yet. The team described the reports as 'grossly inaccurate' and added that they did not expect any new information to arise as a result of the visits, which were made on behalf of the Modena magistrate.

McLaren’s statement in full:
Woking, United Kingdom, Friday 29th February 2008: McLaren Racing wishes to record its extreme displeasure with the wording of a statement that the Italian Police are reported to have made yesterday. If those reports accurately reflect the police statement, the statement is grossly inaccurate and misleading.

The reports incorrectly claim that the searches produced material which clearly shows the responsibility of certain people at McLaren Racing. In fact, the Italian police have not yet even been given access to any of the material taken, nor have they even started to review that material. We would be extremely surprised if the review of the documentation reveals anything which has not already been disclosed as a result of the extensive investigations already carried out.

McLaren Racing believes that due process needs to be respected and that the conduct of an investigation process should not be construed adversely or used for publicity purposes. It should be noted that none of the extensive searches or investigations completed to date have produced any evidence that the Ferrari documents which Mr Nigel Stepney handed over to Mr Michael Coughlan were ever passed to anyone else at McLaren Racing or used on the McLaren Formula 1 car.

McLaren Racing will continue to co-operate with Surrey Police regarding any further searches and enquiries they are required to undertake. McLaren Racing wishes to thank Surrey Police for the helpful and courteous manner in which they have undertaken the process.

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/2/7409.html

 

[Bartek S.]

Dennis to quit this week - report

Under-fire McLaren boss Ron Dennis could be poised to relinquish control of the team he took the forefront of Formula One as early as this week according to a report in the Sunday Times.
Having survived rumours that he had been fired in the wake of ongoing private investigations into last season's espionage row, Dennis has frequently been linked to retirement over the past year, and the newspaper's sources close to the 61-year old reckon he could go before the start of the new F1 season.
The report claims that Dennis would have stepped back from leading the team in 2007 had its not been for the spy row that blew up in his face and, for many, sullied the image of both team and individual.
Fiercely proud, Dennis backed his company to the hilt, only to appear out of the loop when it came to knowing exactly how far information illegally gleaned from rival Ferrari had permeated into the management infrastructure.
He remained on board to steer McLaren through the mire created by disgraced designer Mike Coughlan, and muddied further by the involvement of Fernando Alonso and Pedro de la Rosa, but continues to face pressure as the Italian authorities press on with their own investigation into the affair.
The success of rookie Lewis Hamilton - a McLaren protégé for ten years - also played a part in delaying Dennis' departure but, with the Briton now well-established as an F1 frontrunner, the time may finally be right to pass on the mantle of running the team.
The report claims that, perhaps prompted by the end of his seemingly solid 22-year marriage to wife Lisa, Dennis realises that the time has now come to devote more attention to his family, and could make the announcement that he is to step down as team principal sometime this week, before McLaren heads off to Melbourne for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
Martin Whitmarsh, currently Dennis' right-hand man at McLaren, is expected to succeed his mentor as team boss - something that Dennis alluded to publicly at the press conference following last year's WMSC hearing into the 'spygate' affair.
Crash.Net / Eurosport

 

[Centurion]

Rumors keep steaming while Mclaren, Dennis and Mercedes are telling the press that nothing is up. Australian GP isn't far away and if anyone is to get sacked it shouldn't be too long before it happens.

The center of the spygate Ron's dishonesty rather than the possession of documents, which is why Mclaren didn't get punished at the first hearing.

 

[450SEL6.9]

The center of the spygate Ron's dishonesty rather than the possession of documents, which is why Mclaren didn't get punished at the first hearing.

But at the first hearing, Ronnie D was not yet considered dishonest. There was no question about his integrity then.

They didn't get punished at the first hearing because there was not yet enough evidence that the documents/design/data was actively disseminated in the team. Then the emails surfaced.

 

[PanterroR]

McLaren doomed without Dennis - Ramirez



''I think Max Mosley wants to destroy him''

Former long-time McLaren employee Jo Ramirez has questioned the wisdom of Ron Dennis' expected stepping down as team boss.

The 66-year-old Mexican, who for 17 years until he retired in 2001 was McLaren's team co-ordinator, goes as far as to suggest that the Mercedes-powered team could go into decline without Dennis, who has manned the controls of the ultra-successful Woking outfit for nearly three decades.

"Without Ron Dennis McLaren will be doomed," Ramirez is quoted as dramatically telling the Austrian magazine Rally and More.

Dennis' long standing deputy Martin Whitmarsh, who is set to inherit the reins of the British team, told the Guardian newspaper on Monday that there is no pressure on his current boss to step down.

"I've been at McLaren for 19 years and am incredibly patient. Nor do I intend to be the Judas who knifed Ron in the back," he added.


Ramirez does rate Whitmarsh, but thinks Dennis is not replaceable by the 49-year-old Englishman, who left the aerospace industry in 1989 to join McLaren as head of operations.

"Martin Whitmarsh is a good man - but a hundred Martin Whitmarshes could not replace Ron. If he does go, it will be very bad for the team," he warned.

Ramirez is still close to Dennis and he reports that the espionage scandal and the politics of 2007 left his former boss in a bad way.

"Ron is really, really down," he said. "What happened last year has really hurt him."

"I think Max Mosley wants to destroy him, but I cannot understand it - Ron does not deserve that," Ramirez added.


Source: F1 : McLaren doomed without Dennis - Ramirez - Dennis - F1-Live.com

 

[Bartek S.]

Spy engineer faces no action

Formula One's governing body has said it will take no action against former Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney for his part in a spy scandal, although it has warned teams it may be inappropriate to employ him.
Ferrari sacked Stepney after accusing him of passing data to suspended McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan and attempted sabotage.
Last year McLaren were stripped of their constructor points and fined $100 million because of the data affair.
"As Mr. Stepney is not a licence-holder of the FIA, no formal action may be taken against him under the International Sporting Code (though the FIA is co-operating with the Italian police, who are investigating Mr. Stepney's actions)," the FIA said in a statement.
"As a matter of good order, the FIA recommends to its licensees that they do not professionally collaborate with Mr. Stepney without conducting appropriate due diligence regarding his suitability for involvement in international motor sport. This recommendation stands until 1 July 2009."
The statement also said Stepney had admitted being involved and had apologised to the FIA, although he disputed the seriousness and extent of his involvement.
Italian police and a prosecutor in Modena, Ferrari's home province, are conducting a probe into the scandal. Stepney has been interviewed by prosecutor Giuseppe Tibis and police questioned senior McLaren staff at their British homes last month.
Reuters