The International Automobile Federation (Formula 1 Racing) fined McLaren Mercedes $100-million for spying, according to the International Herald Tribune. The Italian police provided the racing federation with evidence that showed Mike Coughlan, McLaren's chief designer, and Nigel Stepney, of rival Ferrari, had exchanged 288 text messages and 35 telephone calls between March 11 and July 3.
"In Formula One, each team spends hundreds of millions of dollars each season to build a car to gain precious seconds on the competition. Sharing intellectual property is, to a degree, part of the game, with teams employing photographers to take pictures of the elaborate technology belonging to the opposition to garner the slightest advantage," reported the Herald-Tribune.
The 14-page detailed account from the IAF included texts of email messages. For example, According to the evidence, on March 21 2007, de la Rosa wrote to Coughlan:
"Hi Mike, do you know the Red Car's Weight Distribution? It would be important for us to know so that we could try it in the simulator. Thanks in advance, Pedro.
p.s. I will be in the simulator tomorrow."
According to AutoWeek, "On March 25, de la Rosa sent an e-mail to Alonso that described Ferrari's weight distribution to two decimal places on each of Ferrari's two cars as setup for the Australian Grand Prix."
McLaren Mercedes does have seven days to appeal.
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