(from autosport) The FIA will take no formal steps against Nigel Stepney but has warned motorsport teams from collaborating with the former Ferrari engineer until the summer of 2009. Stepney is under police investigation in Italy, on suspicions that he gave confidential Ferrari information to rivals McLaren while he was employed at Maranello. The affair led the FIA to exclude McLaren from the 2007 constructors' championship and fine the squad with $100 million USD. The governing body further said its legal department would meet with Stepney and make a decision on his future in motorsport as well. But after the meeting on Friday, the FIA said it was not in a position to officially ban Stepney from motorsport - only to recommend to teams that they consider carefully whether or not to collaborate with the Briton. A statement released by the FIA on Friday night said: "In its investigations of last year regarding the unauthorised use of intellectual property within Formula One, the FIA heard allegations that Mr Nigel Stepney, then employed by Ferrari, had passed confidential Ferrari information to an employee of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes. "Mr Stepney has admitted this allegation and apologised to the FIA, though he disputes the seriousness and extent of his involvement. "As Mr Stepney is not a licence-holder of the FIA, no formal action may be taken against him under the International Sporting Code (though the FIA is co-operating with the Italian police, who are investigating Mr. Stepney's actions). "As a matter of good order, the FIA recommends to its licensees that they do not professionally collaborate with Mr Stepney without conducting appropriate due diligence regarding his suitability for involvement in international motor sport. "This recommendation stands until 1 July 2009."
For all the demonizing of Ron Dennis and McLaren, the real villain in this entire story is Stepney. He sabotaged his own team out of personal grievances. To think that he is not banned from the posrt is outrageous.
I tend to agree with you on this Ted, This was my feeling from the onset, however in retrospect it does take two to tango but it started with a disgruntled Stepney. As regards the fact he could still be employed is without doubt mind numbing. However only a team that would want the FIA breathing down there necks would be stupid enough to employ such a idiot. No doubt they could glean some knowledge/tips from him, but as such the pace of advancements he is already well of the tip 6 months ago I dont see him of any use to anyone.
I guess it's a legal question. FIA is not a private organization, they can hardly prevent any team (=company) from employing anyone. However, surely no one in F1 will ever hire Stepney...
+1 - Not only that but how could any team, if they decided to employ him, put any kind of trust in him.
If the FIA can force McLaren to pay $100 million in fines then surely they can ban someone from the sport.
But McLaren is the participant, Stepney apparently is not directly related to it as he is "not a license holder." It would be like the government preventing someone from even being a passenger in a car after getting a DUI.
FIA is the regulatory body, are they not? Presumably that means they exercise at least a modicum of control ove rthe sport, does it not? Your analogy is ridiculous. A more appropriate analogy would be the SEC banning someone from the securities industry for insider trading.
Weren't some of the Toyota F1 team staff banned for a while for having purportedly taken technological information with them from their old team? I think the FIA has exercised that power before and not too long ago, and that would indicate to me that Stepney made a deal with them; don't ban him and he won't spill the beans about spying or whatever you call it that was done by the Scuderia during his employment there. It just seems too much of a negotiated deal to be a legitimate legal decision involving the purported lynchpin in this whole mess.
Maybe the FIA is concerned that if they ban Stepney they will be under pressure to ban Coughlin, Dennis, de la Rosa and Alonso. Perhaps a Pandora's Box. Any team who would hire Stepney needs to equip themselves with a white powder detection system.
