As the title suggests, all we have are rumours and rumours only. But this, from grandprix.com points into new direction:

The suggestion is that the damning evidence against McLaren is a series of e-mails between Fernando Alonso and McLaren ’s test driver Pedro de la Rosa, from which it is clear that information that originated from Ferrari was used to help McLaren with its set-up. There is nothing to back up these rumours because the FIA continues to refuse to say anything on the subject. It is a suggestion that could have some validity. De la Rosa has worked closely with Mike Coughlan at Arrows and at McLaren and so the two men have had strong links in the past.

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f1wolf

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It was quiet for quite some time, with the International Court of Appeal hearing planned for next week (September 13). Then all of a sudden we have 2 developments on the same day. First The Modena magistrate Giuseppe Tibis confirmed that there is a case against the former Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney. There is supposed to reasonable proof that Stepney was involved in the Monaco white powder case. Then, later on on the same day, FIA came with announcement in the Stepney-Coughlan saga:
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Unlike the letter from Ron Dennis, this one seems to be rational and talking some sense. On the other hand, unlike Ron Dennis, Mr. Macaluso has nothing to loose … The full text Macaluso’s letter follows:
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And now it starts to get really dirty. Dennis could not keep his mouth shut after reading the Macaluso Mosley letter exchange and Ferrari appeal hearing looming. I think he should have kept his mouth shut or be a bit more careful in what he said …
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Following the letter from Luigi Macaluso, the head of the Italian national sporting authority CSAI, to Max Mosley, Ferrari has been given the right to appeal to the FIA International Court of Appeal. Due to the rules they could not appeal themselves, so it looks like they used a Ferrari friend to help. Macaluso had been allegedly in favour of Ferrari at the World Council but was later revealed as having voted for no punishment for McLaren. He however believes, Ferrari has a right to appeal.
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Jean Todt is very obviously very upset man. Two days after the FIA decided not to punish the guilty party, Todt went public with his view of the events on the Ferrari website. Thing are going to get dirty…

Here is the full text:

“I am bitter about it: what happened yesterday is serious. On the one hand a verdict of guilt was handed down and on the other, no sanctions were imposed. I cannot understand it. During yesterday’s meeting, the McLaren bosses, with no exceptions, admitted that their chief designer had obtained since back in March, prior to the Australian GP, documents from Nigel Stepney.
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The FIA World Motor Sports Council decided not to penalize McLaren.

The full FIA statement read: “An extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council was held in Paris on 26 July, 2007. The following decision was taken:“The WMSC is satisfied that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes was in possession of confidential Ferrari information and is therefore in breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code. However, there is insufficient evidence that this information was used in such a way as to interfere improperly with the FIA Formula One World Championship. We therefore impose no penalty.

“But if it is found in the future that the Ferrari information has been used to the detriment of the championship, we reserve the right to invite Vodafone McLaren Mercedes back in front of the WMSC where it will face the possibility of exclusion from not only the 2007 championship but also the 2008 championship.

“The WMSC will also invite Mr Stepney and Mr Coughlan to show reason why they should not be banned from international motor sport for a lengthy period and the WMSC has delegated authority to deal with this matter to the legal department of the FIA.”

What does this mean?
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f1wolf

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While browsing the web I got somehow directed to paddocktalk.com. They published several articles on the Ferrari / McLaren espionage saga over past few days. These are basically summaries of and their opinions on the information that became available in a course of past week. However there is one interesting take on the possibility of jail terms in this saga.
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So now there is a possibility that:
- McLaren really knew nothing about the documents
- Stepney did not sell anything, just passed some stuff on
- Coughlan did not have to buy anything, just got it
- Ferrari’s blue prints did not get into any other hands beyond Coughlan and his copy shop guy
- Honda is innocent as they did not go ahead hiring Stepney/Coughlan but whole bunch of other people instead
- Two individuals will we punished in some way for stealing etc etc
- No team will be implicated, championship will not be affected
- Todt, Fry and Dennis will shake hands, have a drink and show will go on Or not…

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McLaren chief designer allegedly had personally received a package of technical information from a Ferrari employee at the end of April

First there was some mysterious complaint from Ferrari against Nigel Stepney.

It resulted into investigation by prosecutors office in Modena, Italy. They or Ferrari probably managed to dig out something and Ferrari fired Stepney this week.Now there is also high ranked McLaren staff Mike Coughlan implicated. His house was searched, some documents belonging to Ferrari allegedly have been found. McLaren suspened him swiftly. Ferrari statement from Tuesday says:“Ferrari announces it has recently presented a case against Nigel Stepney and an engineer from the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team with the Modena Tribunal, concerning the theft of technical information.
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