McLaren's Dennis/Whitmarsh Asked To Go Before Italian Magistrate

(from autosport)


McLaren boss Ron Dennis and F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh are among four senior personnel from the Woking-based team who have been invited by Italian magistrates to answer questions over last year's spy affair, autosport.com has learned.

Although the FIA has drawn a line under the matter following a public apology from McLaren about their possession of Ferrari intellectual property in 2007, the legal actions underway in Britain and Italy are ongoing.

As part of those investigations, the Modena magistrate in charge of the investigation, Giuseppe Tibis, has been questioning individuals involved in the case. Last year he invited Fernando Alonso and Pedro de la Rosa over the matter.

Now, he has informed McLaren's lawyers in Italy that he wants to speak to Dennis, Whitmarsh, chief designer Mike Coughlan and engineering director Paddy Lowe about the matter. They have all been asked to meet him from February 18.

Former Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney, who supplied information about his former team to Coughlan, has also been asked to appear.

McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale and senior design team leader Rob Taylor are also likely to be invited, but Italian magistrates have deferred their questioning because they do not have their home addresses, so cannot officially inform them that they are required.

McLaren have not officially commented on this latest development.