Ferrari to continue legal action over spy affair
Ferrari say they are happy to accept the FIA’s plans to draw a line under the McLaren ‘spy scandal’ following Thursday’s apology from the team. However, the world champions still intend to continue with legal proceedings relating to the matter.
McLaren have promised to suspend development of systems on their 2008 machine that might have been inspired by leaked Ferrari data. As a result, next February’s World Motor Sport Council hearing on the FIA’s report into the car is expected to be cancelled.
“In the light of McLaren's apology and the guarantees it has presented, Ferrari respects the proposal of the FIA President to cancel the extraordinary general meeting of the WSMC scheduled for 14th February coming, thus bringing this incident to a close from a sporting point of view,” said a Ferrari statement. “However, it is confirmed that criminal actions underway in Italy and civil ones in England are still continuing.”
During the 'spy scandal' investigations, Ferrari instigated legal proceedings against former engineer Nigel Stepney, the man alleged to have leaked information from the team, and Mike Coughlan, McLaren’s suspended chief designer, who was allegedly in receipt of said information.
Ferrari’s statement in full:
“Ferrari notes the apology offered today by the McLaren Group, following the investigations carried out by the FIA Technical Department, as presented to the WSMC on 7th December last.
“The written and verbal statements issued by senior McLaren personnel both at the World Council meetings of the 26th July and 13th September and through the media have thus been publicly proved wrong. Therefore it is admitted that confidential information which was the property of Ferrari was disseminated within the structure of the English team and this also confirms the seriousness of the behaviour of those involved over the past few months.
“In the light of McLaren's apology and the guarantees it has presented, Ferrari respects the proposal of the FIA President to cancel the extraordinary general meeting of the WSMC scheduled for 14th February coming, thus bringing this incident to a close from a sporting point of view. However, it is confirmed that criminal actions underway in Italy and civil ones in England are still continuing.”
