Michael Waltrip sues Williams F1

**call_me_andrew** · 17th Jul 11, 21:50

Michael Waltrip Racing sues former engineer, F1 team | NASCAR News Now - SceneDaily.com

Coughlan, a citizen of England, joined MWR in October 2010 as the director of vehicle design. He signed a two-year deal with MWR holding a one-year option, according to the complaint.

He told the team in April he was leaving for Williams, and left the team in June, according to the complaint. He is now the chief engineer for Williams.

Coughlan was responsible for overseeing all design, production, engineering and quality control programs at MWR. The suit alleges that his departure impacted the team's performance, resulting in a loss of prize money and potential sponsorship. Waltrip’s teams have struggled this season with both Martin Truex Jr. (23rd in the standings) and David Reutimann (26th) performing below expectations.

So for Waltrip to have a case, he has to prove Coughlan's departure caused his team's performance to go from bad to worse.

**Mark in Oshawa** · 19th Jul 11, 17:42

I think Waltrip can try to prove what he wants, but the cost in proving it will likely be higher than just spending the money getting someone else to do the job. It isn't like they were winning championships with Coughlin and now they are not....