McLaren-Ferrari spy scandal closes

[February 24, 2009]  WOKING, England (AP) -- Italian authorities have closed all legal action against McLaren for its part in a spy scandal with Ferrari, McLaren said Monday.

Charges against former McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan and three senior engineers were dropped, but the British team did not say whether it would pay each of the three engineers' $192,000 fine. Coughlan was fined $230,000.

"The proceedings in Italy were merely the officializing of what had been proposed long before, namely the (no contest) agreement," McLaren said. "A line has finally been drawn under this matter."

McLaren was fined a record $100 million by governing body FIA in 2007 and kicked out of the manufacturers' championship after Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney leaked a 780-page technical dossier on the Italian team's cars to Coughlan.

[Associated Press]

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