Charges dropped over F1 'spy' affair

Formula One’s ’spy saga’ has finally drawn to a close following an agreement made between the legal authorities in Italy and lawyers representing McLaren.

Charges against former McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan and three current senior employees of the Woking-based team have now been dropped on a ’nolo contendere’ (no contest) basis.

However, Coughlan will have to pay €180,000 in exchange for not contesting charges of copyright infringement relating to Ferrari’s data.

Coughlan was the man at the heart of the controversy that led to McLaren being fined around £50m (€56m) in 2007 by world governing body, the FIA.

Engineers Paddy Lowe, Jonathan Neale and Rob Taylor will each have to pay €150,000.

A McLaren spokesman said: “The proceedings in Italy were merely the officialising of what had been proposed long before, namely the ’nolo contendere’ agreement.

“A line has finally been drawn under this matter.”