Ferrari/McLaren Espionage Story [merged]

[ICKE]

Hehe, I wonder how many millions one could find from a certain bank account in Cayman Islands.

It is very unlikely that a professional would leak all this information just out of spite. Being disappointed might have been the trigger but I bet he secured his future as well.

[Valve Bounce]

McLaren has one, RBR has one, Williams has one and Toyota uses the Williams version because it couldn't make its own seamless shift work. honda and super aguri have it, too.

OK, seamless is out. Let's put our collective thinking caps on and try to figure out what the spying is all about.

[ArrowsFA1]

Just what the sport needs

Things seem to have gone pear-shaped for Stepney/Ferrari when he made clear his wish to leave (for Honda?). Was he prevented from leaving and so took "revenge" by passing on documents to Coughlan? What documents were they and could they have been any use to a team running a totally different car?

Who knows As time goes on more an more questions are being asked, and plenty of media speculation, but there is little that's known for sure yet. Until we know, there is certainly a cloud hanging over what is shaping up to be one of the best seasons we have seen for many years

[Valve Bounce]

Gazzetta is reporting that the package contained the whole design for F2007.

This is going to be mega.

I guess they could stick voodoo pins in the design to put a voodoo hoodoo in the red cars. :

[BDunnell]

toyota were punished for a very blatant piece of cheating. the FIA knew it was going on by ALL teams, announced at which round they would check it and toyota was the only team that didn't remove their trick.

they engineered (a beautifully engineered thing it was, too) a bypass of the air-inlet restrictor that sat perfectly in position at idle and low rpm, but sprung open at wider throttle openings. unfortunately for them, one of the spanners blipped the throttle while a scrutineer had his head under the bonnet and they caught them.

they got banned because it was a systematic cheat to bypass not only the restrictor, but an FIA rule - and arrogantly refused to remove it even when it knew it would be checked.

Indeed. This is totally different to the espionage stories, because the Toyota WRC ban was down to a technical cheat.

[Ranger]

First of all Mickey T, yes I did know that the Toyota thing is very different, and that secenario won't be repeated here (sorry if I didn't make that clear) .

there's a strange smell to all of this. Stepney books his holiday through the Ferrari agency at Ferrari's suggestion, then Ferrari says it has no idea where stepney is. they find a mystery powder at Stepney's house after he's gone overseas on a Ferrari-suggested holiday. They find confidential ferrari paperwork in his house.

I agree. To me, this whole dilemma seems somewhat strange and futile. Albeit with a hell of a lot of money involved.

[Ranger]

Gazzetta is reporting that the package contained the whole design for F2007.

Oh dear.

[SGWilko]

Ok.

What if Mike Coughlan DID receive paperwork from a Ferrari employee. Does this mean McLaren knew about it? The burden of proof here is did the team have knowledge, did they instigate contact with (presumably) Stepney, or was Mike working on his own? I am sure there is a whole load of spying going on, but as has already been mentioned, you really would have to be a collosal pr*ck to leave your evidence lying around in your own home - while you are away - Doh! That just don't smell right to me.

Suppose the implication of Nigel and Mike is fabricated, by someone planting evidence.......who knows?

Is the Mafia using the Ferrari team to run drugs, and using Stepney as a cover? Yeah, I know, a bit far fetched that one, but I could think of nothing else to link the white powder story.

And yes, this will distabilise both teams, and will run and run.

Stuart.

[ioan]

What documents were they and could they have been any use to a team running a totally different car?

Gazzetta is reporting that the package contained the whole design for F2007.

Very important documents, worth hundreds of millions!

All F1 cars are built using the same principles, and have the same construction.
The fact that they have different engines and aero packages doesn't mean that ideas coming from other cars can't be used to improve their design. And it all comes for free (well at least compared to the real development costs).

This looks like a huge mess!

[ArrowsFA1]

Gazzetta is reporting...

There are a lot of "reports", but few facts as yet.