BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — More McLaren engineers knew about Ferrari’s leaked confidential data than McLaren first realized, and some of that information may have influenced the design of the 2008 car, despite the initial denials by McLaren.
However, now that McLaren has written a meek letter of apology and pledged a moratorium on certain development aspects of its 2008 car, FIA President Max Mosley has asked the World Motor Sport Council to cancel the hearing scheduled for Feb. 14 and consider the entire spy matter closed.
Some F-1 insiders believe that McLaren has taken this groveling approach to end the spy scandal once and for all.
A 21-page report issued by the FIA after its latest investigation says that contrary to the evidence McLaren gave in the July and September hearings, secret Ferrari information found its way via Mike Coughlan to several McLaren engineers.
“The (senior McLaren engineers) on the 2007 and 2008 McLaren cars appear to have known that confidential Ferrari information was available from the ‘mole’ and to been prepared to use it to McLaren’s advantage in the development of the 2007 and 2008 cars,” the report said.
The FIA investigation revealed that the engineers knew things such as the wheelbase of the Ferrari, the type of gas Ferrari used to fill its tires, Ferrari’s brake balance, as well as other systems that were not revealed because they are still top secret.
McLaren apologized profusely but also said it did not agree with all the findings listed in the statement.
“It is a matter of deep regret for us that our understanding of the facts has improved as a result of the FIA inspection rather than our own prior investigations,” the letter, signed by Martin Whitmarsh rather than Ron Dennis said. “We apologize unreservedly if our prior ignorance of some of these facts has misled the World Motor Sport Council and we can only assure you all that this was never our intention.”
To avoid even the possibility of Ferrari information influencing its performance during 2008, McLaren said it has offered to impose a moratorium on development in relation to three separate systems.
A smug Ferrari issued its own release, saying McLaren’s testimony in July and September has “been publicly proved wrong. Therefore it is admitted that confidential information which was the property of Ferrari was disseminated within the structure of the English team and this also confirms the seriousness of the behavior of those involved over the past few months.”
While Ferrari agrees with the FIA that the matter is now closed, Ferrari said its criminal case in Italy and the civil ones in England are still continuing.