Espionage suspect Nigel Stepney sentenced
According to Reuters, former Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney has been sentenced to a 20 month prison sentence as punishment for his role in the 2007 “Stepneygate,” issue, in which confidential technical
information was passed from Ferrari to McLaren.
The scandal was unveiled after the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix, after a white powder was discovered in the Ferrari fuel tanks of Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen, who finished the race in third and eighth positions.
After police searched Stepney’s house in England, the engineer was subsequently fired by Ferrari, who consequently charged him with technical theft and issued a search warrant. The Briton was then questioned by the Italian police in an industrial espionage
investigation while on holiday, and further speculation was fuelled when Stepney revealed his association with senior McLaren engineer Mike Coughlan. As a result, McLaren was required to supply the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) with all upgrades
on their chassis since the Monaco race. Stepney later admitted to having access to McLaren’s setup, pit stop, and weight distribution during the 2007 season.
McLaren’s offence landed the team with a $100 million fine and exclusion from the constructor’s championship, but Stepney and Coughlan were allowed to continue work, though teams were discouraged from
employing them by FIA. Stepney eventually released an apology to the FIA and acknowledged the allegations, while the High Court case in England was dropped after Coughlan reached a settlement with Ferrari.
Despite FIA closing the door on the case, the Italian court in Sassuolo pursued the issue, and reached an agreement with Stepney’s lawyers of a fine of 600 euros and 20 months in prison. Due to the Italian
court system, it will be unlikely that Stepney will be expected to serve the sentence, although further details are to be expected.