Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Plants/Manufacturing, Toyota, Ferrari
Toyota engineers convicted of stealing secrets from Ferrari
In most countries, acts like murder, treason, or plotting to overthrow the government rank among the most heinous crimes a person can commit. In Italy, stealing secrets from Ferrari ranks right up near the top of the list, too.
Following a long, drawn out process, two former Scuderia Ferrari engineers, who stood accused of stealing secrets from Maranello and giving them to rivals at Toyota F1, have been convicted. Pending appeal, Angelo Santini was sentenced to nine months and Mauro Iacconi to 16 behind bars on charges of industrial espionage.
Back at the start of the 2003 season, Toyota built a wind-tunnel down the road from Ferrari in Sant'Agata Bolognese, near the Lamborghini factory. Naturally the project recruited the talents of many former Ferrari engineers, but when the season kicked off, Toyota's car looked suspiciously like Ferrari's. Complaints were filed in Italy and in Germany, and the case against Santini and Iacconi went to court a year ago. Toyota's former team principal, chief designer and chief aerodynamicist were all charged in Germany, where the case against them is pending prosecution.
It seems that Toyota will stop at nothing to catch up to Ferrari, and when hiring a Schumacher didn't work, less legal means were employed.
[Source: GrandPrix.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Master Jedi Dan 11:36AM (4/25/2007)
The only way they could get to the top...cheat & steal from other companies.
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Type-R 11:37AM (4/25/2007)
FACT: Toyota cheats at every motorsport they enter in.
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Will 11:39AM (4/25/2007)
...Well, it's not like it's helped much.
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The Anti-Paul 12:03PM (4/25/2007)
It's not like anyone ever accused Toyota of being ethical. This really shouldn't be that surprising.
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taoufik 12:09PM (4/25/2007)
This confirms what i always thought. I always wondered how they managed to stay alive in F1
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lalaland 12:16PM (4/25/2007)
As the old saying goes, "If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying." EVERYBODY CHEATS AND STEALS IN RACING. Remember Ferrari's illegal wing? Illegal brakes? Illegal traction control? Toyota just got caught. Not like the theft helped them any. How many podium finishes does Toyota have now?
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Lee Gibson 12:16PM (4/25/2007)
OK, maybe my reading comprehension is broken, but that blurb says that the Ferrari engineers have been convicted, and the Toyota engineers are being prosecuted.
But hey, don't let those little details get in the way of your two-minutes hate on Toyota.
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Rich 12:21PM (4/25/2007)
its nothing new motorsports espionage and it will continue to go on as long as they race for one thing, money.
you don't hear about it in the passenger vehicle arena because its too easily accessible to the general public. also it makes it harder if they patent the technology (ie:hybrid). so, they pay for the rights instead of copying it or they build something similar (honda) without infringing with the originator.
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UPDOG 12:25PM (4/25/2007)
What laws were broken?? Obviously Ferrari lacks loyal employees.
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Quattrofan 12:30PM (4/25/2007)
lalaland... my sentiments exactly.
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Lithous 12:35PM (4/25/2007)
Nice try Lee Gibson. Two things there, first, the article (the one autoblog is summarizing) states, " Santini, who worked at Ferrari from 1995 until the start of 2002, had moved to Toyota". So being at Toyota means Toyota engineer. Second, when a coke employee tried to give secrets to Pepsi, Pepsi turned them in i.e. even if it was just the Ferrari engineers doing something, Toyota doesn't have to accept the info and could turn them in. Remember, the Japanese got where they are by HARD WORK and only hard work (I see this FACT everyday from the import fanboys). Why couldn't they be like Pepsi then?
So, bottom line, Lee, don't let the detail of a link to the article with all the info get in your way.
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David 12:53PM (4/25/2007)
If the results from F1 and Cup racing is any indication, Toyota doesn't cheat very well. But now that I think about it, I guess that 2003 Ferrari technology is working real well.
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nagmashot 12:58PM (4/25/2007)
#7 the illegal wings at Ferrari were inspect because Toyota blamed Ferrari... the FIA inspector inspect all cars...the most illegal wing was at a ... TOYOTA!!!!!
;-)
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The Penguin 1:20PM (4/25/2007)
The reason that Toyota is still in F1 is probably because they want their first supercar, the Lexus GT-F (known as the LF-A concet), to be released right after their first F1 win. With the way that they are doing now they probably will have to release it after a win in the Craftsman Truck Series, since they can't win anything else.
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Aki 1:25PM (4/25/2007)
Instead of having a veneer of relevant input, all the Toyota haters might as well post a canned response of "I'm racist against Japanese and therefore disapprove any Toyota news item." Would save yourself time.
Ferarri isn't exactly spotless in F1. Oh, but I'm sure Schumacher "nudging" cars overtaking him were all accidental.
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ClutchCargo 1:29PM (4/25/2007)
Shades of VW? but that wasn't in racing was it. That was in production models.
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Lithous 1:47PM (4/25/2007)
"Instead of having a veneer of relevant input, all the Toyota haters might as well post a canned response of "I'm racist against Japanese and therefore disapprove any Toyota news item." Would save yourself time."
So all GM haters are racist against Americans? Oh wait, America is made up of so many races I guess nobody could jump to that conclusion. Oh wait, I also show my disapproval for German companies too. Gee, it is always race and not anything else is it?
I hope you are not American. Personally I am not a hyphenated American. If I cared about the first part of the hyphen then I'd be there instead of here and neither would my ancestors have cared to come here or stay.
I guess there are advantages of not opening up your society (to the masses of races like the Japanese don't do). First, you have less lawsuits (over hate crimes for instance). You work as a group better because less differences. And finally, if anyone dislikes anything having to do with your society you can bring up the race card. It must be nice. Poor unracist Japanese who get where they are just by good old fashioned hard work (well, except for racing and probably everything else).
No Aki, it is called when you are #1 like Toyota is now or are on nice streak getting there you are in the spot light. But if you can't see all the GM haters and see this for yourself and want to pull the race card then whatever.
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Mbongo 3:47PM (4/25/2007)
Not only Toyota steals, but Toyota also hides recals. Steal from other companies, hide recals for the general public in order to be known as the best... are not the best way to do business. I'll never buy a Toyota. Sorry Toyota. I won't or can't help you this way.
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nagmashot 4:02PM (4/25/2007)
#16 as Schumacher join the F1 it was normal racing to hit other cars ... Senna and Prost did it a lot and were never blamed for it. Mercedes still owns the Mercedes 190E 16V which Senna and Prost used in the first race they raced against each other (opening race of the Nürburgring F1 GP track) both cars were marked with combat contacts... Senna pushed leading Prost into the green in the first lap.. never heard someone blaming Senna for something unfair like that... racing is a challenge not a pensioner tea time bingo game..
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Barney 4:07PM (4/25/2007)
Don:"ollowing a long, drawn out process, two former Scuderia Ferrari engineers, who stood accused of stealing secrets from Maranello and *giving them to rivals at Toyota F1*"
Is there something you know about this that you aren't telling us about?
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