Formula One's governing body could puncture McLaren's
championship bid on Thursday and slam the brakes on Fernando Alonso
and Lewis Hamilton's own title aspirations.
The 'spy saga' that has gripped the sport for weeks, with
leaders McLaren stunned by revelations about their now-suspended
chief designer Mike Coughlan and leaked Ferrari data, comes to a
head in Paris.
McLaren will appear before the International Automobile
Federation's World Motor Sport Council charged with unauthorised
possession of documents and confidential information belonging to
their Italian rivals.
At stake, according to the governing body, is the credibility of
Formula One and belief in sporting fairness.
If the Mercedes-powered team are found guilty of fraudulent
conduct, in breach of article 151c of the international sporting
code, then the penalty could be anything from a reprimand to
disqualification.
McLaren lead Ferrari by 27 points with seven races remaining
while 22-year-old British rookie Hamilton and Spain's double world
champion Alonso are first and second in the drivers' standings.
A decision, made without council member and Ferrari boss Jean
Todt who will be present nonetheless as an interested party, is
expected later on Thursday.
LEAKED INFORMATION
Central to the hearing is the issue of collective
responsibility, even if it is accepted that only one McLaren
employee knew about the information.
Ferrari's view is that some 780 pages of highly sensitive data
have been found in the hands of rivals, damaging their efforts and
casting doubt on all the results so far.
McLaren's position is that Coughlan, named in a London High
Court action brought against him and his wife by Ferrari, was
acting alone and any materials in his possession were
unsolicited.
"I cannot see that we are guilty in any way because I cannot see
what we did wrong," Mercedes motorsport head Norbert Haug said at
last weekend's European Grand Prix.
The Woking team are confident that nothing on their cars can be
traced to Ferrari and they will be expecting the FIA to confirm
that is the case.
McLaren may also argue that Ferrari, who are taking former
engineer Nigel Stepney to court in Italy, are not without blame
since someone inside their operation clearly leaked the information
in the first place.
Stepney denies having sent information to Coughlan, even though
they approached Honda together about job opportunities.
Coughlan has meanwhile provided an affidavit to the two teams
and FIA stating his version of events.
The contents of that confidential document, and the FIA's
assessment of McLaren's cars, are likely to form a significant part
of the hearing.
(China Daily via Reuters July 26, 2007)