McLaren keen to move on

McLaren have admitted their “embarrassment” over the Formula One spying scandal after team boss Ron Dennis revealed they would not be appealing against the sanctions imposed on them.

Dennis believes “it is in the best interests of the sport” that McLaren do not drag out a sorry affair that has overshadowed everything else in motor racing since July 3.

That was the day Ferrari sacked Nigel Stepney as their head of performance development and Mike Coughlan was suspended by McLaren from his position as chief designer.

The situation came to a head last Thursday when the World Motor Sport Council, at the end of a second hearing in Paris, fined McLaren £50million and stripped them of all constructors’ points for this season.

The fact McLaren have decided not to pursue the case further means Ferrari are constructors’ champions for the first time since 2004, and for the 15th time in Formula One history.

Although Dennis has adamantly maintained no Ferrari intellectual property is on this year’s McLaren car, he now accepts more than one of his employees was aware of the information.

A statement read: “Having now had time to study the judgement of the World Motor Sport Council with its lawyers and shareholders, McLaren thinks it is in the best interests of the sport, and its goal of winning races and world championships, not to appeal.

“It is clear from the full judgement that the Council concluded that the charge that a McLaren employee had ’unauthorised possession of documents and confidential information’ was proven.

“Despite the existence of no evidence that the information was applied, tested or shared with the engineering team (which it was not), this possession constitutes a breach of the code.

“To our regret and embarrassment, the content of the previously unknown emails demonstrated possession not being limited to a single person, albeit unsanctioned in any way by the team.”

Dennis believes that it is time to draw a line in the sand, although the criminal case against Stepney in Italy and the civil case against Coughlan in England remain ongoing.

However, Dennis remarked: “We believe the time has come to put this huge distraction behind us.

“McLaren wants to win races and world championships.

“We are fortunate to have, and continue to receive, unwavering support from our employees, sponsor partners and Formula One fans across the world – all of whom are equally keen we totally focus on winning this year’s drivers’ championship and the remaining three races of the season.”