The realms of rumours and whispers

More high-ranking figures of the McLaren team face being dragged into the 'Stepney-gate' spy scandal.

In his supposedly confidential sworn affidavit provided to Ferrari by English lawyers, the Woking based outfit's suspended chief designer specifically named F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh as well as engineering director Paddy Lowe.

According to apparently leaked details published in the Italian daily sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, Coughlan also confided in Whitmarsh - who is outranked only by team boss Ron Dennis - and Lowe, and was told by both of his superiors to dispose of the nearly 800-page secret Ferrari dossier.

Team Manager Jonathan Neale had already been flagged as being potentially involved both by Coughlan and Ferrari's Italian lawyers.

Even La Gazzetta dello Sport, however, had to admit that 'we are into the realms of rumours and whispers'.


Nevertheless, the revelation could turn out to have serious implications for McLaren - if proven, after the team vehemently declared on Monday that Coughlan's illegal possession of the material 'was not known to any other member of the team prior to the 3rd July 2007.'

Not informing the FIA of suspected espionage is also contrary to the rules.

F1's governing body will examine all of the evidence in an emergency meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in central Paris next Thursday.