Alleged McLaren/Renault ‘spy’ named
It was earlier reported that McLaren, facing the World Motor Sport Council on Thursday accused of using confidential Ferrari information, might be in possession of evidence that could incriminate Renault of a separate spying offence.
The FIA even confirmed that lawyers for the Woking based team had tried to draw Renault into the affair by recently raising "certain matters regarding Renault F1".
The Swiss newspaper Blick said the case centered around the departure of an engineer to Renault, who allegedly took with him three disks of detailed information about McLaren's cooling and electronic systems.
Salzburger Nachrichten has now named the defector as former McLaren design engineer Phil Mackereth.
The Austrian newspaper also said Ron Dennis obtained in Monza from Flavio Briatore "a written confession" that this year's Renault R27 incorporates unauthorized intellectual property belonging to McLaren.
It is not known why Briatore would sign such a document, but it is believed that Dennis wanted to present it as evidence at the World Council meeting on Thursday but was prevented from doing so.
The rumor would, however, explain Briatore's visits to the McLaren motor home at Monza a week ago, and possibly also his subsequent 60-minute meeting with F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.