The FIA have announced that they are summoning McLaren to a special meeting to investigate the matter of unauthorized possession of confidential Ferrari information. The FIA had stated that representatives from McLaren have been asked to appear before an meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on July 2 in Paris.
The FIA statement reads, “Representatives of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes have been requested to appear before an extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Thursday, July 26, 2007. Team representatives have been called to answer a charge that between March and July 2007, in breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes had unauthorised possession of documents and confidential information belonging to Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, including information that could be used to design, engineer, build, check, test, develop and/or run a 2007 Ferrari Formula One car.”
Article 151c of the International Sporting Code refers to “any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition of to the interest of motorsport generally.†It is unclear at this stage what penalties McLaren could face if found guilty. Bernie Ecclestone stated last week that the two drivers would not be docked points if their team are found guilty but it is believed that the FIA do have the power to dock points from the drivers if the team are found guilty.
McLaren have repeatedly denied any wrong-doing. A team statement reads, “McLaren are extremely disappointed to note that they have been asked by the FIA to answer a charge of being in possession of certain documents and confidential information belonging to Ferrari.
“Whilst McLaren wish to continue their full co-operation with any investigation into this matter, they do wish to make it very clear that the documents and confidential information were only in the possession of one currently suspended employee on an unauthorised basis and no element of it has been used in relation to McLaren s Formula 1 cars.â€
