McLaren adamant Renault gained advantage

In a legal submission lodged with the FIA ahead of Renault's appearance before the World Motor Sport Council next month, McLaren's solicitors leave the FIA in no doubt about how seriously they are taking the matter.

And they are sure that the information former McLaren engineer Phil Mackereth is alleged to have taken with him to Renault in September 2006 was used to the French car manufacturer's benefit.

In the statement, the solicitors state: "It is clear that McLaren's confidential design information was knowingly, deliberately and widely disseminated and discussed within the Renault F1 design and engineering team, thereby providing them [the Renault F1 design and engineering team] with a clear benefit and unfair advantage."

According to sources, McLaren's solicitors have also expressed some frustration at the way Renault have dealt with the matter.

It is understood that the solicitors have complained in writing to Renault about the 'cavalier attitude' on the part of senior Renault F1 personnel during the investigation, and also that some submissions from Renault staff are "incomplete" or "misleading", as well as that some members have allegedly provided contradictory witness statements.

Renault are due to face the FIA on December 6 to answer charges that they had unauthorized possession of intellectual property belonging to McLaren.

The exact nature of this information has also been made clear in the FIA submission. It has been revealed that the matter revolves around 33 files of confidential technical information that was copied onto 11 old-style floppy discs.

It is understood these files contained more than 780 individual drawings that outlined the entire technical blueprint of the 2006 and 2007 McLaren car. The figure of 780 drawings is very similar to the number of drawings in the Ferrari dossier that McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan was found to have in his possession earlier this year.

McLaren's lawyers argue that their team's files were discussed by up to 18 Renault personnel, involving at least seven senior staff members including chief designer Tim Densham, deputy technical director James Allison and head of R&D Robin Tuluie.