Renault Denies Use Of ‘spying’ Documents

The Renault F1 team has denied allegations of ‘spying’ stating the confidential McLaren information found at the team’s garages was not used in their cars during the 2007 season.

Renault’s statement claimed that the data had been brought to Renault by former McLaren engineer Phil Macereth who, when the issue came to light, was immediately suspended on 6th September with every effort made to erase the data from Renault systems.

Renault is to appear before the FIA’s world motorsport council on 6th December to answer a charge over the matter.

Renault admitted the information was brought to the team by Macereth, who loaded it onto their F1 file system ‘without the knowledge of anyone in authority in the team’.

The statement added: ‘We have co-operated fully with McLaren and the FIA in this matter to the extent that the team has invited McLaren’s independent experts to come and assess the team’s computer systems and inspect the cars and the design records.

‘This is to demonstrate that this unfortunate incident has not in any way influenced the design of the cars.

‘We have acted with complete transparency towards McLaren and the FIA, being proactive in solving this matter and we are fully confident in the judgement of the world council.’

The revelations are the latest twist in the ongoing ‘spying’ scandal that has marred the last F1 season.

McLaren were fined £47.5m and thrown out of the constructors’ championship after being found guilty on a similar charge in September.