McLAREN STATEMENT
As a result of the investigations carried out by the Fédération
Internationale de l'Automobile it has become clear that Ferrari
information was more widely disseminated within McLaren than
was previously communicated. McLaren greatly regrets that
its own investigations did not identify this material and
has written to the World Motor Sport Council to apologise
for this.
McLaren has written a letter to the FIA which in the interests
of transparency it is publishing with this press statement.
That letter speaks for itself and the sentiments expressed
in it are sincerely held by McLaren. McLaren has also written
to the World Motor Sport Council to apologise that it has
taken an FIA investigation to find this information and have
expressed our deep regret that our understanding of the facts
was improved as a result of the FIA inspection rather than
our own investigations. McLaren has recognised that this entire
situation could have been avoided if we had informed Ferrari
and the FIA about Nigel Stepney's first communication when
it came to our attention. We are, of course, embarrassed by
the successive disclosures and have apologised unreservedly
to the FIA World Motor Sport Council.
To avoid even the possibility of Ferrari information influencing
our performance during 2008, McLaren has offered a set of
detailed undertakings to the FIA which will impose a moratorium
on development in relation to three separate systems. During
the course of these incidents, McLaren has conducted a thorough
review of its policies and procedures regarding the recruitment
and management of staff. The proposals arising from this thorough
review have been disclosed to the FIA and McLaren has agreed
to demonstrate that all of these policies and procedures have
been fully implemented.
McLaren wish to make a public apology to the FIA, Ferrari,
the Formula 1 community and to Formula 1 fans throughout the
world and offer their assurance that changes are now being
made which will ensure that nothing comparable to what has
taken place will ever happen again. McLaren have also agreed
to pay the costs incurred by the FIA for their investigation.
McLaren now wishes to put these matters behind it and to
move forward focusing on the 2008 season.
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