Other McLaren Employees Linked In Spy Case

By Sam Cooper
July 19 2007

Mike Coughlan, McLaren's chief designer, the first and possibly only McLaren employee to be named in the ongoing spy case that has rocked the F1 world since the story emerged last week. Coughlan has named two other high ranking McLaren employees that he showed the secret Ferrari technical information that he received from Nigel Stepney earlier in the year.

Only two other McLaren personnel have been named by the suspended Coughlan, those being, McLaren CEO Martin Witmarsh and McLaren's engineering director Paddy Lowe.

In addition, team manager Johnathan Neale is also being suspected in the 'Stepney Gate' situation, which makes McLaren's position harder to defend at an emergency meeting of the World Motor sports council in central Paris next Thursday.

Current world champion Fernando Alonso, could be set to leave the team as his contract suggests that he could leave the team if his reputation is damaged by this high tension affair.

McLaren will be looking forward to put forward a clear picture of events next Thursday, in which, should the team be found guilty, a fine, and possibly the deduction of points could occur, and even a disqualification of the team could be result of Coughlans actions, despite other members of the team telling Coughlan to destroy any Ferrari data.

Nigel Stepney also told Coughlan about Ferrari's movable floor, which was banned earlier this year, the banning cost Ferrari a very valuable 0.2 seconds.

Current championship leader Lewis Hamilton, who is currently recovering from a case of the Flu, believes his McLaren team are too honest to be spies. We'll find out if they are on Thursday 26th of July, where truth will be shed on F1's sabatage case.