Mclaren 'disappointed' by FIA charge

McLaren have expressed their extreme disappointment at the FIA at being asked to answer charges relating to the current ’spy’ saga.

Team chiefs have been summoned to an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on July 26 to account for their actions in the scandal that has rocked Formula One.

Following an ongoing investigation by the FIA, McLaren “have been called to answer a charge…in breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.”

The relevant rule relates to “any fraudulent conduct, or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition, or to the interests of motor sport generally.”

McLaren will be asked to explain how they had possession of Ferrari documents which can be used to design, engineer, build, check, test, develop and run a 2007 Ferrari F1 car.

The charge has clearly come as a major shock to team principal Ron Dennis, who has long maintained his team’s innocence, and who has assisted the FIA in every way since McLaren were implicated.

A team statement read: “McLaren are extremely disappointed to note that they have been asked by the FIA to answer a charge of being in possession of certain documents and confidential information belonging to Ferrari.

“Whilst McLaren wish to continue their full co-operation with any investigation into this matter, they do wish to make it very clear that the documents and confidential information were only in the possession of one currently suspended employee on an unauthorised basis and no element of it has been used in relation to McLaren’s Formula 1 cars.”

Chief designer Mike Coughlan was suspended by McLaren nine days’ ago, before this week appearing in the High Court – alongside wife Trudy – in relation to the theft of technical information from F1 rivals Ferrari.

At a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, the Coughlans were said to have “behaved disgracefully” by copying and keeping a 780-page technical document belonging to Ferrari.

A further hearing was yesterday called off due to the Coughlans providing the High Court with requested affidavits outlining how they came to be in possession of the material.

The affidavits were only supplied after it became clear they would not be used in respect of related criminal proceedings in Italy, to avoid potential self-incrimination.

Ferrari confirmed they had “agreed not to forward the affidavit to the Italian criminal authorities”.

However, while the case is due to continue at some stage in the High Court, the FIA are to now probe McLaren’s involvement – if any.

The FIA statement confirmed: “The team representatives have been called to answer a charge that between March and July 2007, in breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes had unauthorised possession of documents and confidential information belonging to Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, including information that could be used to design, engineer, build, check, test, develop and/or run a 2007 Ferrari Formula One car.”

Dennis has continually expressed that his honesty and integrity, and that of his team, should not be called into question.

Speaking at the British Grand Prix last Friday, Dennis said: “I can categorically state there are no developments whatsoever that have occurred on our cars…relating to this.

“I can comfortably say this will not end in anything that causes McLaren any embarrassment.”

If McLaren are found guilty, the FIA have a wide range of powers open to them in terms of discipline, which includes the potential expulsion of the team from the championship, or the deduction of points.

At present, Lewis Hamilton has a 12-point lead in the title race over team-mate Fernando Alonso, while Ferrari are 25 points clear of Ferrari in the constructors’ championship.