Formula One: McLaren Found Not Guilty of Using Ferrari Documents
Article by David Durban
The FIA World Motor Sport Council, in its hearing in Paris on the 26th July, has found McLaren guilty of possession of unauthorised Ferrari documents, but with no evidence that the team had prefabricated use of the information. The governing body elected not to punish McLaren for now.
The WMSC said, however, that it reserves the right to call McLaren back should it be found that McLaren had used the information, in which case they might be excluded from not only the 2007 championship but also the 2008 one.
“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,” the verdict said.
“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 grappling the possibility of exclusion from not only the 2007 championship but also the 2008 championship.”
Luigi Macaluso, the Italian representative at the WMSC, told Gazzetta dello Sport after the hearing: “There was no proof, nothing more could be done.”
McLaren boss Ron Dennis was also pleased with the verdict. “The punishment fits the crime,” he was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.
Unrelated to the McLaren decision, the FIA also plans to hold a hearing for Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney and McLaren’s suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan, to grant them to defend their activity in the spy affair.
“The WMSC will also invite Mr Stepney and Mr Coughlan to show reason why they should not be illegal from international motor sport for a lengthy period and the WMSC has delegated dominance to deal with this matter to the legal department of the FIA,” the verdict added.
The result will please Bernie Ecclestone, Formula One supremo, who told The Times newspaper before the verdict was announced, “Please God, I hope nothing’s gone wrong and it will all be a lot of nonsense. It would be superior it didn’t happen in the first place, and it would be obviously beneficial if it was cleared up and everybody was sort of happy. There’s been so much talked about this spying nonsense, it’s even taking away from what’s going on on the track.”
With McLaren 27 points clear of Ferrari in the Constructors Championship at the time of writing, and Lewis Hamilton leading his team mate Fernando Alonso by two points in the Drivers Championship, Formula One fans can now hopefully look forward to a close-fought effort on the track for the 2007 championship in the remaining seven races.
However it might be the case that if the Championship goes to the wire, the saga will once again resurface.
About the Author
David Durban has had a passion for automobiles since his primeval teens, building several component automobiles and taking part in long distance endurance rallies crossways Europe.
In his spare time, he is the webmaster for the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club Surrey Region