Honda confirm Stepney, Coughlan approach

"Given the speculation surrounding the legal investigations at Ferrari and McLaren, the Honda Racing F1 Team would like to clarify that earlier this year Nigel Stepney, formerly of Scuderia Ferrari, requested a meeting with Nick Fry, Chief Executive Officer of the Honda Racing F1 Team," said the team in a statement.

"Nigel Stepney subsequently met in June of this year with Nick Fry and brought with him Mike Coughlan of McLaren, with a view to investigating job opportunities within the Honda Racing F1 Team.

"Honda would like to stress that at no point during this meeting was any confidential information offered or received.

"Nick Fry informed Jean Todt and Ron Dennis of the meeting and has offered to provide any information required by Ferrari and McLaren."

The confirmation of Honda's situation, and the nature of Fry's meeting with the Stepney and Coughlan, makes it increasingly likely that the controversial affair is more about the two possibly looking at future job prospects than out-and-out espionage.

Dennis reiterated his belief that McLaren would be cleared of any wrongdoing in the matter in light of the new information, after holding a conversation with Todt and Fry earlier in the day.

"Three team principals discussed this situation this morning," he said. "Again it creates in some ways more clarity.

"I want to be very correct in this process. The first thing that I did when I first learnt of this problem was to phone Jean Todt. The second was to phone [FIA president] Max Mosley, and from the beginning we have been cooperative.

"We immediately brought independent people into the company to analyse and go through a process.

"I feel that as much as the reputation of McLaren has been challenged - and in some instances, all instances, unfairly challenged - the important thing is to set an example and to behave in a very correct way.

"I can give a full and detailed understanding to everybody about what has happened over the last few months, but it is just inappropriate. The way of the world is that all the truth comes out.

"Probably the thing that I have learned more than anything over the last few days is how fast people are prepared to jump into severe criticism of McLaren when it has had, certainly in the last 20 odd years, an impeccable reputation in every aspect of how it conducts its racing team and how it conducts its business affairs."

And, prior to Honda's confirmation of Coughlan and Stepney's approach, Dennis said: "Over the next 48 hours there will definitely be more information available to people and some of that will give a better insight into motives and what lies behind some people's actions.

"But it is not for me to criticise. We will let things unfold.

"This is all being conducted under civil law and therefore there is no police involved. But this does not mean that it does not follow a proper procedure.

"Too many people are quick to jump and criticise, and effectively condemn, but as in most things in life the truth will come out. I doubt there will be many apologies, afterwards but the truth will come out."