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In the wake of
the surprise decision by the FIA to refer the McLaren
espionage case to the Court of Appeal, the Ferrari Board of
Directors met yesterday to consider the ongoing events.
Thursday saw yet another twist in this sensational case as a
letter drafted by the Italian sporting authority, the CSAI,
persuaded the FIA to reconsider the case, which during a
meeting of the World Motosports Council in Paris a week ago
saw the McLaren-Mercedes team found guilty of breaching the
International Sporting Code but with no penalty whatsoever
being applied. No date has yet been set for the FIA Court of
Appeal hearing but it is likely to take place towards the
end of August.
In the midst of
these events the Directors of Ferrari met. A statement,
confirming Ferrari's commitment to pursuing all potential
avenues open to them, including taking legal action against
former employee Nigel Stepney and McLaren-Mercedes Chief
Designer Mike Couglan and well as his wife, in the courts in
both Maranello and London.
"Today, in
Maranello, the Ferrari S.p.a. Board of Administration met to
deliberate about the legal actions taken in the last weeks
by the Gestione Sportiva," read the statement issued
yesterday. "The Board has ratified what happened until now,
which is the action taken against Nigel Stepney over the
fact of the powder found around the refuelling aperture on
the F1 cars during the Monaco Grand Prix tests.
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Fiat Yamaha Team rider
Colin Edwards was a recent visitor to Maranello
where the Texan MotoGP star inspected the Ferrari
599 GTB Fiorano. |
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In the wake of the surprise decision by the FIA to
refer the McLaren espionage case to the Court of
Appeal, the Ferrari Board of Directors met yesterday
to consider the ongoing events. Photo: Ferrari
President Luca di Montezemolo during the recent
'Podio Ferrari' supplier awards ceremony. |
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"The submission of another legal action against Stepney
concerning the theft of technical information, the civil
action presented to The High Court of London against Mike
Coughlan, chief designer of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, and
his wife, concerning the theft of the aforementioned
documents. The Board took note of the FIA World Council's
decision of 26th of July and of today's decision from the
FIA President, Max Mosley, to refer this matter to a hearing
of the FIA Court of Appeal, where Ferrari, as the injured
party of the incident, will be accorded all the rights to
which they are entitled in a trial, which was not the case
at the World Council meeting," it continued.
"The Board gives its full authority to the Board of
Administration's President, to the CEO, and to the Managing
Director to initiate and continue any necessary legal
action, in the name of the Company, in addiction to those
legal actions already underway in every legal, civil,
criminal, administrative, sporting jurisdiction be it, in
Italy or abroad," the press release concluded.
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