Autoblog

During the Stepneygate scandal over the course of the 2007 Formula 1 season, more than one critic accused the FIA of being on a witch hunt against McLaren. Based on what McLaren said it knew, and what the FIA said it knew, it looked to many like the governing body was simply doing everything possible to put Ferrari in the Championship lead. When the $100,000,000 penalty was given to McLaren, some folks were aghast.

But this one goes firmly to the FIA. McLaren has unreservedly apologized in a letter to the FIA, the World Motorsports Council, and F1 fans for not being forthcoming, for possibly allowing Ferrari secrets to get into its car, and for allowing the FIA's investigation of the team to reveal more information than its own investigation. It also agreed to pay the FIA's expenses for conducting the investigation.

In addition to all of that, McLaren has agreed to "'impose a moratorium' on development of three separate systems that may have been infected by the Ferrari secrets." Those three potentially "infected" systems were on Hamilton and Alonso's 2007 racers, which makes it quite convenient that Hamilton didn't win the Championship. Because of McLaren's acknowledgment of guilt and acceptance of terms, Max Mosley, head of the FIA, has asked that the investigation be closed, and that a February 14th meeting to determine the validity of McLaren's 2008 car be canceled.

[Source: F1 Live]

Thursday, September 13th, the World Motor Sport Council will meet to decide on whether McLaren should be punished for industrial espionage in the Stepneygate affair. What had been winding its way to a peaceful conclusion has now been blown back open with the recent revelation that the drivers exchanged information that came from the Ferrari dossier in McLaren's possession.

Some newspapers claim that in the 166 pages of new evidence is enough damaging material that McLaren and its drivers could be excluded from the 2007 F1 World Championship. McLaren boss Ron Dennis has claimed that no one else in the team knew about the dossier -- and this was before it was revealed that the drivers knew. Now it's claimed that not only did the drivers know, but McLaren actually tried some of Ferrari's technical innovations on its car. Ron Dennis is also accused of trying to bring Renault into the affair, but it is unclear how. If things go against McLaren, the Championship-leading team and its drivers could face exclusion from the Championship this year and beyond.

[Source: Daily F1]