Evidence mounts against Renault
November 24th 2007 00:26
New evidence against Renault
With next month’s World Motor Sport Council hearing looming, a rather damning legal dossier has been leaked to the media.
According to PA Sport, the FIA are currently looking at details of the alleged industrial espionage scandal, which contains admissions that Renault did indeed benefit from stolen McLaren data.
Renault have stressed their innocence on several occasions, and have stated their intentions to be completely compliant with the FIA, inviting them to survey somputer systems to inspect design records to demonstrate the lack of ouotside influence.
According to the FIA, the details include, but are not limited to, the layout and critical dimensions of the McLaren F1 car, fuelling system, gear assembly, oil cooling system, hydraulic control system and a novel suspension component used by the 2006 and 2007 cars.
Earlier this month Renault suspended former McLAren engineer, Phil Mackereth, who is accused of taking sensitive information belonging to McLaren on floppy disks with him to his new post at the French team.
However, according to the leaked dossier, Renault’s guilt does not rest with Mackareth.
Included in the documents are:
* 18 witness statements in which Renault F1 employees admit that they viewed confidential technical information belonging to McLaren on a total of 11 computers owned by Renault F1.
* Papers in the document say that in March 2006, 33 files of confidential technical information belonging to McLaren were copied on to 11 floppy disks, which were loaded on to Renault F1's computer system in September 2006.
* The dossier says the 33 files contain more than 780 individual drawings outlining the entire technical blueprint of the 2006 and 2007 McLaren F1 cars.
* The files were uploaded on to 11 Renault F1 computers, and were discussed by up to 18 Renault F1 personnel, including a group of senior engineering chiefs and heads of department within Renault F1, according to documents in the dossier.
McLaren's solicitors, Baker McKenzie, contend in a submission in the legal dossier that: "It is clear that McLaren's confidential design information was knowingly, deliberately and widely disseminated and discussed within the Renault F1 design and engineering team, thereby providing them (the Renault F1 design and engineering team) with a clear benefit and unfair advantage."
Baker McKenzie have also complained in writing to Renault's solicitors, Withers, that the accused team’s personnel, including senior members, have been less than compliant, and have taken a “cavalier attitude” during the investigation.
Furthermore, McLaren’s legal hounds are sniffing out inconsistencies with Mackareth’s statement to his personal solcitor, and his earlier witness statement to Withers.
Renault said they will not be making any comments until December 6, the day of the hearing.
A guilty finding would mean guaranteed exclusion from next year’s constructor’s championship and a $100 million dollar fine for Renault, thanks to the sensational precedent set by McLaren earlier this year.
Further punishment is possible, especially if the claims in the dossier are true.
It will be a nervous wait for Renault.
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