The ongoing "Stepneygate" espionage scandal that has embroiled Formula 1 this summer has drawn to a conclusion (for the time being, at least), and the World Motor Sport Council has meted out some severe punishment. McLaren F1 has been stripped of all its constructors' championship points for the 2007 season and fined $100,000,000 USD -- a record amount. This puts Ferrari in the points lead and makes them the probable champions this year. The BBC also reports that McLaren must prove that none of its cars are making use of any improperly-obtained Ferrari intellectual property before the beginning of next year's F1 campaign.
McLaren will finish out the current F1 season on the track, and both Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have retained their accumulated drivers' championship points. The FIA's findings and the council's reasoning behind its verdict will be released tomorrow. McLaren boss Ron Dennis will apparently wait to see this information before making a final decision on whether he's going to appeal the council's decision, though based on his quotes in the BBC's report, it sounds like his mind's made up, and an appeal is all but inevitable.
Thanks to all who sent tips!
[Source: BBC]
Spy Shots II: Jaguar XF-R
Officially Official (almost): Audi TT clubsport quattro
Subaru releases Impreza WRC2008 ahead of launch at Acropolis rally
Subaru releases Exiga teaser
REPORT: Production-trim Chevy Volt to be shown in Paris
Autoblog Podcast #94
Hiroshi Tamura gives us closer look at 2009 Nissan Maxima
In the Autoblog Garage: Harley-Davidson Night Rod Special
In The Autoblog Garage: Suzuki XL7
First Drive: 2009 Ford Escapes, more of almost everything
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Justin @ Sep 13th 2007 4:10PM
oh snap...that won't be buffing right out...
So what's this mean for the future of McLaren?
SVG @ Sep 13th 2007 4:15PM
They got what they deserve.
From now on people in this industry will think twice before even considering stealing other team's data.
K @ Sep 13th 2007 4:19PM
It wasn't stealing. They didn't break into ferrari's factory and steal the data. A ferrari employee CAME to them with it. A big difference. Ferrari should also be punished.
SVG @ Sep 13th 2007 4:47PM
if a car salesman suggested you come to their lot at night and grab some of the vehicles... just don't tell anyone. Is that stealing? Yes, of course. The cars are not his and he would be considered a criminal himself.
Bevill @ Sep 13th 2007 5:04PM
That's silly. Ferrari as a company did not hand over the documents and McLarceny should have acted as soon as they found out.
nagmashot @ Sep 13th 2007 5:55PM
Toyota did the same to Ferrari soem years ago and were not striped of points and forced to pay $100,000,000
I smell there politic..
mrbalogna @ Sep 13th 2007 4:15PM
Wow, that is a staggering penalty.
The big question is: who gets the $100,000,000?
MKIV @ Sep 13th 2007 4:42PM
Probably the old fart.
ryan @ Sep 13th 2007 4:20PM
^^ dibs!!
man, that's a lot of zeros...
FamilyGuy @ Sep 13th 2007 4:22PM
I think a lot of people saw this coming. That's a ridiculously high fine and I would be be surprised if its appealed and is chopped by 3/4's
FamilyGuy @ Sep 13th 2007 4:23PM
Whoops.. Meant to say "I would NOT be surprised if its appealed..."
gus @ Sep 13th 2007 4:37PM
i still find it amusing that Ferrari's engineer doesn't know how to use a CD/DVD-burner... LOL
BirdmanSTX @ Sep 13th 2007 4:42PM
The $100 million includes whatever money they would have won for the manufacturers championship, etc. So the actual amount of cash they'll have to fork over will be less, but still a huge amount.
UAW @ Sep 13th 2007 5:05PM
Too bad. I think McLaren is the best team out there (except for the times when Ferrari had Schumacher).
tpp @ Sep 13th 2007 5:08PM
Well, I bet Ferrari would be pretty good, too, if they had both the Ferrari team and the McLaren team working to improve their car. Don't you think?
UAW @ Sep 13th 2007 5:55PM
I certainly think so. Probably it is not wise, then, to let go employees who has intimate knowledge of the car. So ex-Ferrari and current McLaren employees made some strides. Whether they used Ferrari material - that is a real questions. Ferrari certainly wants to think so to justify slippage to the second place. But did it happen? I don't think so, they are not that stupid, and this is what was determined a few days ago, clearing McLaren of any wrongdoing. Such decision reversal is perplexing.
Cam @ Sep 13th 2007 5:17PM
Considering this has happened before where Ferrari were caught trying to sell its confidential dossier to Toyota for its F1 team and Ferrari didn't even get a slap on the wrist makes me think that either Ferrari is resorting to dirty tactics to win either the constructors' trophy or the drivers' trophy or that the World Motorsport Council is sat in Ferrari's back pocket
catgirlshyla @ Sep 14th 2007 1:18AM
"World Motorsport Council is sat in Ferrari's back pocket"
A good number of the FIA are connected in someway to Ferrari. Hell, i've seen some allude to the FIA as "FIArrari."
Eldiablo @ Sep 13th 2007 5:32PM
McLaren to Ferrari:- All your secrets are belong to us.
Ferrari to McLaren:- All your dollar are belong to US.
If Ferrari are too dumb to keep their IP private, then as far as I can guess, their IP can't be worth having. This is going to open up a whole world of tit-for-tat grassing. But if a similar accusation is thrown at Ferrari, I can't seem a similar punishment being meated out.
Hugh @ Dec 14th 2007 9:50AM
If Ferrari can't win the World Championship honestly and fairly, they then resort to whatever means they can win it. Michael used to run his competition off the road to win. Remember Mansell and Jacques V. getting put off by Michael. This is just the latest round of finding a way to win. This year's championship needs to have an asterick next to it. (*- not really won by beating McLaren). I can't stand Ferrari.