Renault: we are not involved in spy case

McLaren are due to face a hearing of the FIA World Motor Sport Council on Thursday to discuss new evidence relating to the spy saga surrounding their chief designer Mike Coughlan and former Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney.

And there have been mounting suggestions from paddock insiders that part of McLaren's defence will include submissions that if the team are punished then rival outfits Renault, and even Ferrari, will also need to have action taken against them.

It is not known what complaint McLaren could have against Renault but the Spanish media have suggested it relates more to a technical component on their car rather than an involvement in the spy matter.

But Renault boss Flavio Briatore, who met with McLaren several times over the Monza weekend, has said his team are 'calm' about the matter, and claims that they have discussed the situation with the FIA.

"We told the FIA what we had, so there's no problem," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "I don't know what Dennis refers to, he's throwing stones a bit everywhere. We are calm, no problem at all."

Briatore also told Il Giornale that he hopes Thursday's FIA hearing is a success in bringing the truth about the spy saga into the public domain.

"Everything we had to say we told the FIA and now we wait for Thursday," he said. "I've just learned that Ron Dennis accuses us too, he's throwing stones in the lake.

"We want to know the truth, it's important for all the investors in F1. We need to clean up. If someone did wrong he must pay. If there was nothing, the FIA must say so, and everyone will have to apologise to who was wrongly accused.

"In 1994 they did everything to make us lose the championship. Maybe I'm more used to these situations than Dennis."

McLaren have been unable to comment on the spy matter ahead of the FIA hearing on legal grounds, but they did issue a statement last weekend saying that they intended to 'make a strong set of submissions' in their defence.