McLaren won’t copy Ferrari this time

After one of McLaren's top designers had access to all the 2007 Ferrari design secrets via the Stepney-gate affair, Mercedes' Norbert Haug on Saturday said McLaren were not considering copying Ferrari's controversial wheel cover innovation.

For the first time at Silverstone two weeks ago, Ferrari used the carbon fiber 'fairings' on both rear and front wheel rims. They are controversial because some believe they come close to what could be described as an outlawed 'moveable aerodynamic device'.

Toyota and Renault use a similar solution at the rear of their cars, but McLaren do not.

But "that is not the secret for why Ferrari are a tenth or two faster than us here," Haug insisted to the German broadcaster Premiere on Saturday.

"I believe it is part of an entire design philosophy. So if we simply put them on, I think nothing would happen."