[Διάσπαση] Επίσημο thread: Stepneygate

ripper

Ο χρήστης migf1 έγραψε:
... αλλά μην με υπολογίζετε εμένα... ανήκω στους διαβολεμένους, διεφθαρμένους, ανήθικους, απατεώνες, κλεπταποδόχους υποστηρικτές της ΜακΛάρεν.

Κι εσύ τέτοιος είσαι;
Έλα να πάμε μαζί στην εκκλησία, πότε δεν είναι αργά.

cavallino

Ο χρήστης migf1 έγραψε:
Πολλά είναι σκάνδαλα για μένα, αλλά μην με υπολογίζετε εμένα... ανήκω στους διαβολεμένους, διεφθαρμένους, ανήθικους, απατεώνες, κλεπταποδόχους υποστηρικτές της ΜακΛάρεν.

Τι σχέση έχουνε οι υποστηρικτές; Προς θεού ρε παιδιά...

migf1

Περιφορά του λόγου βρε Μάνο, μην τα παίρνεις όλα τοις μετρητοις

cavallino

Όχι, το λέω επειδή όντως είχα την εντύπωση πως μερικοί τα παίρνανε επί προσωπικού τα σχόλια, είδα κι εσένα να το γράφεις και πιο ρητά και ήθελα να το ξεκαθαρίσω.

koupris

**Η FIA έχει επιδοθεί σε 'κυνήγι μαγισσών!' **

*Για μια ακόμη φορά ο Sir Jackie Stewart, δεν μάσησε τα λόγια του και έριξε βολές κατά της FIA, μια μόνο ημέρα πριν την νέα συνεδρίαση του Παγκοσμίου Συμβουλίου, στο Παρίσι, με αφορμή τα νέα στοιχεία που προέκυψαν στην υπόθεση Stepneygate! «Μου φαίνεται ότι κάποιοι από τους πιο ισχυρούς ανθρώπους της Formula 1, «ευθυγραμμίζονται» περισσότερο με τη Ferrari, παρά με οποιαδήποτε άλλη ομάδα».

«H ιστορία έχει δείξει ότι η FIA, πάντα, ήταν πολύ κοντά στη Ferrari. Στο Συμβούλιο, πάντα υπήρχαν περισσότεροι εκπρόσωποι της', συμπλήρωσε.

Κατά την άποψη του ζωντανού θρύλου της Formula 1, όλη αυτή η κατάσταση, στο σημείο που έχει οδηγηθεί, έχει «πληγώσει» το γόητρο του αθλήματος. «Δεν λέω ότι δεν έγιναν λάθη, αλλά το να ξεκινήσεις ένα 'κυνήγι μαγισσών' και να προσπαθείς να εμπλέξεις τον Ron Dennis, σε αυτό το επίπεδο, είναι αρνητικό για το sport', κατέληξε.
*

12/09/2007 | MSFREE.GR - Σταυρούλα Σκλαβούνου

frontier

Ο χρήστης pininfarina έγραψε:

Λίγες ώρες πριν την αυριανή ημέρα, το ακόλουθο αρθρογράφημα με βρίσκει απόλυτα σύμφωνο.

Η επειχιρηματολογια του αρθρου εχει σοβαρα κενα.

Όπως;

frontier

Ο χρήστης migf1 έγραψε:

Αποδιοπομπαίος τράγος διότι όλως τυχαίως όλες οι μεγάλες απειλές και ποινές, ακόμα και αλλάγές των κανονισμών εν μέσω της σεζόν, γίνονται πάντα εις βάρος της ΜακΛάρεν.

2005

Είναι πασίγνωστο πως η ΜακΛάρεν είναι ο διαχρονικός κλέφτης, απατεώνας, κλεπταποδόχος (συμπληρώστε όποιον άλλο αρνητικό χαρακτηρισμό σας έρχεται πρόχειρα) σε μια αθλητική δρατηριότητα αποτελούμενη από συμμτέχοντες που τους διέπει η ηθική, η ευγενής άμιλλα, τα αγνά αισθήματα και το ιδανικό που συμβολίζει το κλαδί της ελιάς. Πάντα και μόνο η ΜακΛάρεν φταίει, τιμωρείται και απειλείται, χάνει-κερδίζει.,

Εξαφανίστε λοιπόν τη διαβολική ΜακΛάρεν από τον χάρτη για να μείνουν στο άθλημα ολοι οι υπόλοιποι, οι καλοι και άγιοι διαγωνιζόμενοι.

Στη συγκεκριμένη περίπτωση θεωρείς πως η McLaren είναι το θύμα; Είναι παγιδευμένη; Είναι ίδιο αυτό που γίνεται φέτος με το να τρέχει κάποιος με ένα αμφισβητούμενο εξάρτημα (τρίτο πεντάλ φρένου, mass damper, εύκαμπτο πάτωμα); Πριν κατηγορήσεις κάποιον για παρόμοιες πρακτικές κλεμένων δεδομένων και σχεδίων στο σύνολό τους, καλό είναι να έχεις και αποδείξεις. Το 'κι η Ferrari κλέβει έτσι' είναι πολύ αόριστο, πλήρως αβάσιμο και αναπόδεικτο στο σύνολο της πορείας της στη F1. Nαι, και η Ferrari έχει χρησιμοποιήσει στο παρελθόν λύσεις κινούμενες στα όρια της νομιμότητας εκμεταλλευόμενη τα παραθυράκια των κανονισμών, αλλά το συγκεκριμένο σκάνδαλο δεν έχει προηγούμενο στην ιστορία του σπορ. Ακόμα και η ιστορία με την Toyota, έχει να κάνει με μεταφορά δεδομένων της F2002 μετά το τέλος εκείνης της χρονιάς, πριν την έναρξη της σεζόν 2003. Επίσης αφορούσε μόνο τα σχέδια του μονοθεσίου και όχι όλο τον όγκο της πληροφορίας από τηλεμετρίες, χρήση ελαστικών και στρατηγικές αγώνα.

Η ερμηνεία του σκανδάλου είναι υποκειμενκή υπόθεση κι εξαρτάται εν πολλοίς από τις οπαδικές προτιμήσεις του ερμηνεύοντα. Για μένα, π.χ., σκάνδαλο είναι να ανακοινώνει μετά τη λήξη της σαιζόν η ΦΙΑ τους κανονισμούς για TC που θα ισχύσουν στην επόμενη σαιζόν, ώστε να φτιάξουν οι ομάδες τα μονοθέσια τους κι ένα μήνα πριν την έναρξη της σαιζόν να αλλάζει τους κανονισμούς αυτούς επειδή η Φεράρι και η ομάδα με την οποία προμήθευε κινητήρες η Φεράρι (λέγε με Προστ) είχαν μείνει πίσω από τον ανταγωνισμό στις δοκιμές επί της συγκεκριμένης τενολογίας.

Σκάνδαλο πάλι για μένα, είναι 4 αγώνες πριν τη λήξη της σαιζόν να αλλάζουν οι κανονισμοί περί ελαστικών για να βγουν παράτυπα τα ελαστικά που χρησιμοποιούν οι αντίπαλοι της Φεράρι.

Είναι επίσης σκάνδαλο (στην αρχή της σαιζόν) 300 μέτρα πριν τον τερματισμό να πλακώνεται στα φρένα ο Νο2 για να περάσει ο Νο1. Να επαναλαμβάνεται το σκηνικό μετά από ένα χρόνο και η ΦΙΑ να σφυρίζει αδιάφορα.

Σκάνδαλο είναι να βγαίνει ο πρόεδρος της ομαδας μετά από νίκη του Νο2 και να δηλώνει δημόσια ότι θα φροντίσει να μην επαναληφθεί ξανά κάτι τέτοιο.

Πολλά είναι σκάνδαλα για μένα, αλλά μην με υπολογίζετε εμένα... ανήκω στους διαβολεμένους, διεφθαρμένους, ανήθικους, απατεώνες, κλεπταποδόχους υποστηρικτές της ΜακΛάρεν.

+oo

Και εγώ το ίδιο διεφθαρμένος είμαι...
Η Λουκά με κυνηγά διαρκώς

frontier

Ο χρήστης cavallino έγραψε:
Όχι, το λέω επειδή όντως είχα την εντύπωση πως μερικοί τα παίρνανε επί προσωπικού τα σχόλια, είδα κι εσένα να το γράφεις και πιο ρητά και ήθελα να το ξεκαθαρίσω.

Αν εννοείς εμένα, ουδέποτε το πήρα προσωπικά φίλε μου.
Κουβέντα κάνουμε, τα επιχειρήματά μας αραδιάζουμε.

frontier

Ο χρήστης Koupris έγραψε:
**Η FIA έχει επιδοθεί σε 'κυνήγι μαγισσών!' **

*Για μια ακόμη φορά ο Sir Jackie Stewart, δεν μάσησε τα λόγια του και έριξε βολές κατά της FIA, μια μόνο ημέρα πριν την νέα συνεδρίαση του Παγκοσμίου Συμβουλίου, στο Παρίσι, με αφορμή τα νέα στοιχεία που προέκυψαν στην υπόθεση Stepneygate! «Μου φαίνεται ότι κάποιοι από τους πιο ισχυρούς ανθρώπους της Formula 1, «ευθυγραμμίζονται» περισσότερο με τη Ferrari, παρά με οποιαδήποτε άλλη ομάδα».

«H ιστορία έχει δείξει ότι η FIA, πάντα, ήταν πολύ κοντά στη Ferrari. Στο Συμβούλιο, πάντα υπήρχαν περισσότεροι εκπρόσωποι της', συμπλήρωσε.

Κατά την άποψη του ζωντανού θρύλου της Formula 1, όλη αυτή η κατάσταση, στο σημείο που έχει οδηγηθεί, έχει «πληγώσει» το γόητρο του αθλήματος. «Δεν λέω ότι δεν έγιναν λάθη, αλλά το να ξεκινήσεις ένα 'κυνήγι μαγισσών' και να προσπαθείς να εμπλέξεις τον Ron Dennis, σε αυτό το επίπεδο, είναι αρνητικό για το sport', κατέληξε.
*

12/09/2007 | MSFREE.GR - Σταυρούλα Σκλαβούνου

Αυτό για εμένα - χωρίς να θέλω να κάψω στην πυρά τη FIA (το Mosley, ευχαρίστως) - είναι το μεγαλύτερο ατόπημά της όλα αυτά τα χρόνια.

Δε μπορεί να είναι κάποιος ανεξάρτητος όταν έχεις τόσους δηλωμένους υποστηρικτές της Ferrari στους κόλπους σου και ειδικά στα όργανα που λαμβάνουν αποφάσεις και κρίνουν την πορεία του αθλήματος.

Μάλλον κάποιος πρέπει να 'θυμήσει' στη FIA ότι εφόσον λειτουργεί εντός των συνόρων της Ε.Ε, θα πρέπει να λειτουργεί και σύμφωνα με το καταστατικό της Ε.Ε...

kantoniou

Τι ωρα αναμενεται η κηδεια;

Και τι λετε, θα ειναι αγγλικη ή ιταλικη;

cavallino

Το απόγευμα, όλοι θα είμαστε

go_for_pole

Pantws Mano eides pou eleges oti i Ferrari protistws ithele mesa apo ayti tin ipothesi na 'katharisei' ta tou spitiou tis? Kamia sxesi e?

koupris

Ενα μικρο χρονικο του τι εχουμε δει-ακουσει-πει μεχρι σημερα στο περιφημο Stepneygate απο το επισημο site ths formula1...:

*It is the story that has dominated headlines and gripped the paddock, but after seemingly endless twists and turns, the McLaren-Ferrari ‘spy scandal’ is set to be resolved in Paris today, with a second hearing by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council.

The Council will consider new evidence in the case. Should that evidence prove McLaren made use of confidential Ferrari data in the development of their car, the team could face expulsion from the 2007 and 2008 world championships. We look back at the timeline of an affair that could yet decide this year’s titles…
*
June, 2007
Reports claim that long-time Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney is under investigation by Italian authorities after an unspecified complaint is made against him by the team. Stepney protests his innocence, denying suggestions that he attempted to sabotage Ferrari’s cars at the Monaco Grand Prix.

July 3, 2007
Ferrari reveal Stepney has left the company after an ‘internal disciplinary procedure’.

July 4, 2007
Ferrari confirm they have presented a legal case against Stepney concerning the alleged theft of technical information. The team say a staff member from rivals McLaren is also involved in the investigation.

McLaren confirms the involvement, and suspension, of an unnamed employee - subsequently revealed as senior designer Mike Coughlan. After a full review of their cars, the team insist that no intellectual property from Ferrari has been used.

The FIA announces a formal investigation into the matter, with the full cooperation of both teams.

July 5, 2007
Ferrari admit it was a source outside of Formula One racing that tipped them off to the possibility of a McLaren having obtained their intellectual property.

July 6, 2007
Honda’s CEO Nick Fry reveals that Stepney and Coughlan paid a joint visit to the team in June, with ‘a view to investigating job opportunities’. Fry stresses that that no confidential information was offered or received during the meeting.

July 10-11, 2007
A hearing is held at London’s High Court with Ferrari lawyers and Coughlan in attendance. Reports cite allegations that the suspended designer and his wife submitted 780 pages of Ferrari documentation to a photocopy shop in Woking.

July 12, 2007
Ferrari confirm that Coughlan has provided them with an affidavit relating to the enquiry, but that both the designer and his wife remain the subject of a London High Court action by the team.

McLaren are summoned to appear before the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) to answer a charge of breaching the International Sporting Code by possessing confidential Ferrari data. The team maintain that no other staff members were aware of the material.

July 26, 2007
At the Paris hearing, the WMSC finds McLaren guilty of breaching the Sporting Code, but choose not to impose sanctions as there is no proof that the team made use of the data. However, McLaren are warned that if such proof later comes to light, they could face exclusion from the 2007 and 2008 championships. The WMSC also calls on Stepney and Coughlan to appear before the FIA.

Ferrari describe the decision not to punish McLaren as “incomprehensible” and vow to continue with legal action already underway against Stepney and Coughlan.

July 30, 2007
Ferrari boss Jean Todt claims Coughlan had access to leaked Ferrari data prior to the start of the 2007 season, and that it prompted McLaren’s subsequent request for FIA clarification over the use of ‘moveable’ floors.

July 31, 2007
FIA president Max Mosley refers the case to the International Court of Appeal following suggestions that the original WMSC hearing had not given Ferrari sufficient opportunity to present their version of events.

August 2, 2007
McLaren team principal Ron Dennis accuses Ferrari of winning the Australian Grand Prix with an illegal car and of manipulating media coverage to damage his team’s reputation.

August 7, 2007
The FIA sets a date for the appeal. The International Court of Appeal (ICA) will meet in Paris on Thursday, September 13.
**
September 5, 2007**
A week before the appeal hearing, the FIA announces that “following the receipt of new evidence” the WMSC will instead reconvene to make a fresh judgment on the McLaren-Ferrari ‘spy scandal’.
**
September 7, 2007**
The FIA reveals it has written to McLaren drivers Fernando Alonso, Pedro de la Rosa and Lewis Hamilton after allegations they may have information relevant to the case. They are warned that failure to disclose any such information could involve serious consequences. Lawyers advise McLaren to make no further comment ahead of the WMSC hearing.
**
September 8, 2007**
Modena’s public prosecutor, Giuseppe Tibis, issues ‘avviso di garanzia’ - legal notice that someone is under investigation in a criminal procedure - to Stepney and six McLaren personnel, including Dennis, group managing director Martin Whitmarsh and Jonathan Neale, the team’s managing director.

September 13, 2007
The world awaits news from Paris…

Το παραπανω ειναι οτι πιο επισημο υπαρχει αυτη τη στιγμη...
Ελπιζω η αποφαση να αναδειξει την αληθεια οποια και αν ειναι αυτη...
Λιγη υπομονη και οπως λενε και πιο πανω...:
The world awaits news from Paris.........-

cavallino

Ο χρήστης Go_For_Pole έγραψε:
Pantws Mano eides pou eleges oti i Ferrari protistws ithele mesa apo ayti tin ipothesi na 'katharisei' ta tou spitiou tis? Kamia sxesi e?

Ε μα που να φανταστώ τότε πόσο βαθιά πήγαινε το λαγούμι; Πάντως το κατάφερε και το καθάρισμα. Δε νομίζω να υπάρχει κανείς εκεί μέσα πλέον που να τολμάει έστω και να σκεφτεί να βγάλει πράγμα παραέξω. Τουλάχιστον σε αυτή τη χρονική στιγμή, όσοι είχαν τέτοιες βλέψεις πρέπει να είναι τρομοκρατημένοι.

cavallino

Η McLaren πήγε στη συνάντηση μαζί με τον Hamilton, η Ferrari κάλεσε τον Brawn. Ο Alonso είναι στο Spa.

frontier

Στο Παρίσι για τη McLaren ήρθαν μέχρι και ο Mansour Ojjeh και Norbert Haug, Lewis Hamilton, Pedro de la Rossa, Jonathan Neel και για τη Ferrari μαζί με τον Todt ήρθε και ο Ross Brawn.

Το ότι ο Brawn εμφανίσθηκε τώρα, μάλλον σημαίνει ότι η όλη πολιτική καμπάνια του Todt δεν πάει καλά, αφού ως γνωστόν οι σχέσεις του με το Montezemolo είναι πολύ κακές.

Ένα ακόμα δημοσίευμα της Ελβετικής εφημερίδας Blick, αναφέρει ότι βρέθηκαν δεδομένα της McLaren στη Renault, από πρώην μηχανικό της McLaren που πήγε εκεί, ενώ έχουν ζητηθεί στοιχεία απ'τη Renault για το σύστημα ψύξης και ηλεκτρονικής διαχείρισής της για έλεγχο.

Το απόγευμα θα ξέρουμε (ελπίζω) περισσότερα.

Σχετικές πηγές:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/62300
http://formula-1.updatesport.com/news/a ... /view.html

kantoniou

Ο χρήστης cavallino έγραψε:

Pantws Mano eides pou eleges oti i Ferrari protistws ithele mesa apo ayti tin ipothesi na 'katharisei' ta tou spitiou tis? Kamia sxesi e?

Ε μα που να φανταστώ τότε πόσο βαθιά πήγαινε το λαγούμι; Πάντως το κατάφερε και το καθάρισμα. Δε νομίζω να υπάρχει κανείς εκεί μέσα πλέον που να τολμάει έστω και να σκεφτεί να βγάλει πράγμα παραέξω. Τουλάχιστον σε αυτή τη χρονική στιγμή, όσοι είχαν τέτοιες βλέψεις πρέπει να είναι τρομοκρατημένοι.

'Νταξ', κι αν με την ευκαιρια του 'καθαρισματος του σπιτιου τους' παρουν κι ενα πρωταθληματακι στα χαρτια, δεν θα τους χαλασει. Παραπλευρες ωφελειες...

Ειναι οπως στο σπιτι: Ξεκινας να ριξεις ενα σφουγγαρισματακι* και τυχαια βρισκεις πισω απο τον καναπε το χαμενο διαμαντενιο δαχτυλιδι της μακαριτισσας της προγιαγιας σου. Δεν θα το παρεις; Θα το παρεις...

Ισχυει μονο για φοιτητες και για τους παντρεμενους που εχουν σκισει το καλσ..., εεε, τη γατα ηθελα να πω.

go_for_pole

Ο χρήστης cavallino έγραψε:
Ε μα που να φανταστώ τότε πόσο βαθιά πήγαινε το λαγούμι; Πάντως το κατάφερε και το καθάρισμα. Δε νομίζω να υπάρχει κανείς εκεί μέσα πλέον που να τολμάει έστω και να σκεφτεί να βγάλει πράγμα παραέξω. Τουλάχιστον σε αυτή τη χρονική στιγμή, όσοι είχαν τέτοιες βλέψεις πρέπει να είναι τρομοκρατημένοι.

Mallon oli i F1 einai tromokratimeni simfwna me to tomari ton Bishop:

As to how McLaren did or did not use that info, we will surely find out later on Thursday, when the WMSC verdict is known; as to what disorder in Ferrari's IT security systems enabled Stepney to get his hands on such a huge quantity of highly sensitive material, we may never know.

After all, despite his exalted job title (and salary), Nigel was in reality no more than the Scuderia's chief mechanic, albeit an extremely able and experienced one.

So, if Ferrari's IT security had been as good as it should have been, Coughlan could never have received even one page, let alone 780.

This is not merely my opinion; the ease with which Stepney was able to stroll out of the famous Maranello factory, his briefcase presumably bulging with top-secret documents, is one of the elements of this sorry saga that has proved most astounding to the senior technical personnel of other Formula One teams.

If it was in fact a disk that he walked out with, and the 780 files were all digital, then 'Stepney-gate' damns Ferrari's IT security even more gravely.

And it has happened before! A cache of confidential Ferrari technical information found its way into the hands of a Toyota engineer not so long ago, which episode has been keeping the Italian judiciary, but not the FIA, busy for some years now.

iceman_angel

**Analysis: Coughlan's version put to test **

Former McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan has apologised to Ferrari and expressed his 'enormous regret' for embarrassing his own team by his involvement in the ongoing espionage affair that surrounds the two outfits.

But his version of the events - of how he came to receive confidential Ferrari documents from Nigel Stepney and to what extent did he share that data with his team - could be tested at the World Motor Sport Council hearing today.

McLaren were already found in breach of the Formula One sporting code in a WMSC meeting on July 26th.

The Woking-based outfit escaped penalty on that occasion as there was no evidence to contradict Coughlan's admission that 'McLaren received no benefit whatsoever in relation to their car or any aspect of its performance and that no use of any of the material has been made in relation to the car.'

But the FIA has reconvened the WMSC after obtaining new evidence in recent days - reportedly including emails from McLaren drivers and reports of potentially extensive communication between Stepney and Coughlan.

Coughlan himself has so far maintained that he only communicated with Stepney on very few occasions and that no meaningful information was passed to other members of the McLaren team.

Furthermore, while Coughlan has confirmed that he received confidential Ferrari data from Stepney, he has stated that they are not close friend and that he only accepted the data because his 'engineering curiosity' got the better of him.

'He is not a close friend,' Coughlan stated. 'We are acquaintances who are both in the business of Formula One and have maintained cordial relations over the years.

'Stepney contacted me for the first time in five years on March 1st 2007.

'He subsequently telephoned me and informed me that he was very unhappy with the direction his career was taking at Ferrari and Mr Almondo's promotion above him.

'But he did not pass any technical information about Ferrari to me until mid-March 2007.'

Communicating with Stepney

Coughlan claimed Stepney had contacted him only on a handful occasions, comprising of few email exchanges and three meetings face to face.

March 2007

Coughlan stated he was emailed by Stepney in March 2007 on three occasions, 'on the basis that he wished to communicate concerns that certain features of Ferrari's car did not comply with the technical regulations.'

These included Ferrari's floor device, a rear wing flag separator, and a technique to lower the floor of the car.

'Details of the floor device were sent to me by email to my McLaren work email address,' Coughlan stated. 'I showed the email fleetingly to Martin Whitmarsh, who asked me to take up the issue with Paddy Lowe, McLaren's engineering director.

'I produced a schematic drawing for Lowe, which I understand he forwarded to the FIA. The FIA subsequently declared the floor device as falling outside the regulations.

'Details of the rear wing device were also sent by email to me. I briefly showed this email to Lowe. I understand he reported this to Charlie Whiting of the FIA at the Melbourne Grand Prix, but he was of the opinion that the design was legal.

'As for the information about the subtle engineering technique, I felt it was inconsequential and so I did not show these details to anyone.'

April 2007

Coughlan claimed that he did not feel comfortable by receiving such information from Stepney and wanted to stop the line of communication.

McLaren had promptly set up a firewall to block any electronic communications from Stepney, and Coughlan himself arranged to meet Stepney in person, 'to ask him to stop communicating to me any further.'

The two met at Barcelona Airport on April 28th 2007, and went to a restaurant at the city's marina.

'During the course of conversation, we discussed a feature of how Ferrari's rear brake disc works. This discussion is typical of the types of conversations that often take place between motor racing engineers in relation to non-critical aspects of car design.

'Stepney made a sketch to show how the brake disc worked. My view was that his drawing incorrectly characterised how this feature looked based on photographs taken at races, but I did not comment on this.

'After having lunch with Stepney I asked him not to send to me anything further.

'I then asked Stepney to drive me to the Airport. When I got into his car, he passed me a bundle of documents which he asked me to look at.

'My engineering curiosity got the better of me and I foolishly took the documents from him. I casually flicked through them over the course of 25 minutes or so the journey took for Stepney to drive me to the airport. I kept hold of the documents and took them home with me.

'I did not look further at the documents that weekend.'

According to Coughlan, he met again socially with Stepney for dinner while the latter was in England. 'He handed me what he said were drawings of Ferrari's brake disc, which comprised a number of A4 pages.

'I assume he realised that he had incorrectly sketched this at our meeting in Barcelona.

'So as not to appear rude, I took the pages away from the dinner but did not show them to anyone, study them or make any use of them. I put the pages with the other documents Stepney had given to me in Barcelona.'

June 2007

Coughlan claimed his only other meeting with Stepney was on June 1st 2007, when the two met with Honda team chief Nick Fry at Heathrow.

'The meeting had been arranged by Stepney to discuss a possible career opportunity for him at Honda,' Coughlan stated.

'I attended out of curiosity to hear what Fry had to say in relation to possible opportunities for myself at a later date. No Ferrari information was passed to Fry in the course of that meeting or by me at any other time.'

Communicating with McLaren staff

According to Coughlan, only few men at McLaren knew of his communication with Stepney - and only little information was actually conveyed to each. These include:

McLaren F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh - Coughlan said he showed Whitmarsh the email Stepney sent him in March, regarding the Ferrari floor. This is the only time Coughlan mention the team's CEO.
McLaren F1 engineering director Paddy Lowe - Coughlan mentioned Lowe in relations to the initial information sent by Stepney, relating to devices on the Ferrari car that may be illegal.

He gave Lowe a drawing of the Ferrari floor, which Lowe then sent to the FIA as part of the team's inquiry about the legality of that device.

He showed Lowe an email from Stepney, also around the same time, regarding the Ferrari rear wing device - which Lowe also discussed with the FIA, although this device was deemed legal by the governing body.

McLaren F1 managing director Jonathan Neale - Coughlan stated that Neale was the person who took steps to block electronic communications from Stepney after the Australian Grand Prix.

'Following the Melbourne weekend, I expressed my concerns to Neale about Stepney sending information to me,' Coughlan stated. 'As public reports began to emerge of Nigel Stepney's deepening rift with Ferrari, I understand that Neale instructed McLaren's IT department to install a firewall to block any further electronic communication from him, which I believe was put in place in mid-April 2007.'

Coughlan also told Neale he will be meeting Stepney in order 'to ask him to stop communicating to me any further.'

According to Coughlan, he and Neale met for breakfast on May 25th 2007 'to discuss my future with McLaren and the concerns I had.'

Coughlan claimed that 'At the very end of the discussion, across the table, I showed him two or so images from the material that Stepney had given to me, which was for no more than a few seconds.

'Neale reacted with surprise and immediately said that I should not have these documents and McLaren wanted nothing to do with them.'

McLaren F1 engineer Rob Taylor - Coughlan claimed he had only ever shown Taylor a drawing made by Stepney relating to Ferrari's brake system, upon his return to the McLaren factory from meeting Stepney in Barcelona.

'I recall fleetingly showing the brake balance assembly diagram to Taylor as a point of historic interest, as it was a very similar part to the one he designed approximately 10 years ago at FDD during our time there together,' Coughlan stated.

The Ferrari data

Coughlan has contended thus far that he had made no use of the 780-page dossier he took from Stepney at Barcelona. In fact, the Briton has claimed he barely looked at the material.

'I looked at the papers given to me by Stepney on only a few occasions,' Coughlan stated. 'Certainly the time I spent looking at them in total between receiving them and the search at my house on July 3rd was no more than one to two hours.

'I did not look at them in a discursive or methodical way, nor did I look at all of the documents.

'In the limited period of time I spent reviewing the documents, it was not possible to glean anything that would be of material use to McLaren that we did not already know from our own observation and photographs of Ferrari's car.'

As for the scanned documents, Coughlan said he did not delve into these either.

'I only viewed the discs on one occasion,' he stated, 'solely to check that the documents had been properly scanned onto the discs and to see whether the image quality had been maintained. I reviewed perhaps a dozen pages of material very briefly for no more than a few minutes.'

Coughlan, however, made no mention of data such as weight distribution, tyre use or race strategy. Moreover, he has claimed that at the time of his breakfast with Neale, on May 25, he had 'resolved that the documents should no longer be in my possession.

'I had initially accepted them out of engineering curiosity but now felt increasingly uncomfortable holding on to them,' Coughlan stated.

But, according to his version of events, it wasn't until he return from the United States Grand Prix - which was held on June 17 - that he and his wife, Trudy, shredded and burned the documents, although not before making an electronic copy of them in a nearby shop.

'I cannot recall the exact date, but in early June 2007 I asked my wife to arrange for the documents to be scanned onto compact discs,' Coughlan stated.

'I had decided to destroy all of the documents but I wanted to retain a copy in a more compact form that I could return to Stepney in the event that he requested their return.

'I gave the documents to my wife and asked her to get them scanned onto disk. Around the same time I ordered a document shredder, which I intended to use to shred the documents at my house once they had been copied.

'In or around 8 June 2007 I travelled to the United States for the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis. While I was in the United States, my wife took the documents to a shop and these were copied onto two compact discs.

'Following my return from the United States, I asked my wife to set up the new shredder and shred the documents and then burn them. She did this on 20 June 2007.'

Quite coincidentally, news of a new criminal investigation against Nigel Stepney first began in the Indianapolis paddock...

Coughlan's remorse

There's no doubt that Coughlan indeed regrets his actions in the entire affair. Regardless of how Ferrari's civil case against him pans out in the London High Court, or what McLaren will endure in tomorrow's World Motor Sport Council hearing, Coughlan is likely to never work again in the sport he has loved so much.

'I sincerely regret my actions in accepting the information from Stepney and the fact that I did not take more steps to stop him providing this information to me,' Coughlan stated.

'With the benefit of hindsight, I can now see how I should have handled matters very differently, but at the time, having found myself in an uncomfortable and difficult position, my indecision as to how best to deal with this led me to fail to take proper action at all.

'I wish to apologise to Ferrari. My passion and enthusiasm for race-car engineering design has caused me to exercise poor judgement in my dealings with Mr Stepney.

'I enormously regret the unfair embarrassment I have caused to McLaren and to my wife.

'I can honestly say that McLaren received no benefit whatsoever in relation to their car or any aspect of its performance and that no use of any of the material has been made in relation to the car.'

The problem is, that even genuine remorse may not be enough to undo the damage that has already been done.

frontier

Ο Coughlan επιμένει ότι δεν χρησιμοποιήθηκαν δεδομένα της Ferrari στη McLaren, ούτε ότι γνώριζαν άλλοι για την ύπαρξή τους στην ομάδα.

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