McLaren-Mercedes said on Wednesday they had suspended a high-ranking technical employee who had been accused by Ferrari of spying on the Italian constructor.
“McLaren became aware on the 3rd July 2007 that a senior member of its technical organisation was the subject of a Ferrari investigation regarding the receipt of technical information,” said a statement on the team's website on Tuesday.
“The team has learnt that this individual had personally received a package of technical information from a Ferrari employee at the end of April.”
“Whilst McLaren has no involvement in the matter and condemns such actions. It will fully co-operate with any investigation. The individual has in the meanwhile been suspended by the company pending a full and proper investigation of the matter.”
Ferrari confirmed on Tuesday that it has sacked a member of its technical staff, Nigel Stepney, who it accused of attempting to sabotage its cars.
Ferrari also said they have presented a case against Stepney and a McLaren engineer to the court in Modena, concerning the theft of technical information.
At April end a judge in Modena found two ex-Ferrari employees guilty of industrial espionage.
Mauro Iacconi and Angelo Santini passed on information to Japanese outfit Toyota, although they fired the pair before the matter became public.
{{/usCountry}}Mauro Iacconi and Angelo Santini passed on information to Japanese outfit Toyota, although they fired the pair before the matter became public.
{{/usCountry}}FIA to investigate
Woking, England: Motor sport’s governing body, Federation Internationale De’ L’Automobile (FIA) is to investigate the alleged sabotage of a Ferrari car by an employee of rivals McLaren Mercedes.
In a brief statement on Wednesday, FIA said that it had the full cooperation of both teams in its probe.