F1 - WHAT the hell is going on with this SPYING?

[TiG]

I've been trying to keep tabs on this situation with Nigel Stepney and wondering how much truth there was behind it. I figured that for Ferrari to take the actions they did that there would be have to be something of substance behind it.

But to find this story on BBC news that links McLaren to it all.....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/6264904.stm

Really disappointed that we've got what in my opinion is gutter trash taking away from the positive situations we have in F1 at the moment.

We want to see action on the track, not in the court rooms and papers....

TiG

[chriswood_7]

Thats F1 for ya,

[Tobeman]

Thats F1 for ya,

Beat me to it

[Tarffie]

Used to be like this back in t'old days didn't it?

[chriswood_7]

Too much politics and not enough action, thats F1s downfall, and what made it boring when Schumacher reigned in the early naughties. Too much "oohh his barge board is bigger than mine" and "his front wing flexes by 18.34% when doing 200mph, thats not fair"

Its all a load of bunkem

[spazman]

Seeing as every other team has complained that ferrari have been cheating virtually every season for the past decade (and we all know shuey loved to cheat) and when questioned they threatend to quit F1 all i can say is HA at ferrari. A massive case of the pot calling the kettle black.

[ACiD303]

I don't see the big fuss (yet), whats going on now is no different to any other businesses, or maybe even sports, being run. A case of team secrets, and espionage, being leaked is going to be treated rather severely.

I'm actually disappointed in the BBC for speculating that the purpose here is to distract McLaren from the British GP as it is unfounded. Another case of British media firing missiles for British sports teams/members.

It's a fact that a member of the McLaren team was in possession of Ferrari technical documents. How else is it supposed to be treated? This is pretty big news, even though nothing may come of it. I don't think anything will happen - I actually believe Ron Dennis when he says:

I live and breathe this team. And there is no way anything incorrect would ever happen in our team. It has been a difficult two or three days, especially for me. My personal integrity is very important to me and my company's integrity is even more important to me.

But no team principle is ever going to have full control over the actions of their team and staff.

Now that the FIA are handling the investigation, there's little more anyone else can do. I don't think McLaren have used any intellectual property of Ferrari, and this will be brushed over.

As it happens, it appears Honda are now involved with Nick Fry stepping up and saying Stepny approached Honda earlier this year and he met with Stephy and Coughlan to go over employment opportunities at Honda. (Why Coughlan, don't know).

[McClane]

Seeing as every other team has complained that ferrari have been cheating virtually every season for the past decade (and we all know shuey loved to cheat) and when questioned they threatend to quit F1 all i can say is HA at ferrari. A massive case of the pot calling the kettle black.

I think it's fair to say that there isn't a single team on the grid that hasn't tried to bend the rules or cheat in some capacity. I think it is also fair to say that although Schumacher has done some unsportsmanlike things in his career I wouldn't go as far as calling him a cheat.

More on topic, I think it's a shame things like this happen but lets face it, at least it makes the sport more interesting with the lack of overtaking.

[Zak33]

F1 "cheating" and/or "advantageous engineering" is no different to football players diving in the penalty box, and faking injury, and getting bloody good at it.

Once one team starts doing it, you've got to consider it yaself or you're fighting a losing battle

Shame innit...ruins sport.