McLaren to answer spy charge at FIA meeting

(GMM) F1's governing body on Thursday summoned chiefs of the McLaren team to appear before the FIA World Motor Sport Council later in July.

As the so-called 'Stepney-gate' spy scandal rolls on, the FIA said in a statement that McLaren representatives will need to "answer a charge that (the team) had unauthorised possession of documents and confidential information belonging to (Ferrari)."

Only a few hours earlier, Ferrari had issued its own statement clarifying reports that an out-of-court 'agreement' had been reached between the Maranello based team and its suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan.

Confirming the agreement about an affidavit, Ferrari explained that the case against Coughlan and his wife in the London High Court "continues in terms of what is decided by the (court)".

The FIA expressed concern that the sensitive Ferrari documents, allegedly sent by Coughlan by disgruntled former employee Nigel Stepney, "could be used to design, engineer, build, check, test, develop and run a 2007 Ferrari F1 car."

The World Council's powers are absolute, but McLaren principal Ron Dennis insisted at Silverstone last weekend that he was sure "we will be completely vindicated with the passing of time".