McLaren: only Coughlan held documents

Italian newspaper La Repubblica quoted last weekend from what it claimed to be the affidavit Coughlan supplied to Ferrari as part of the ongoing investigation.

And, according to the newspaper, Coughlan stated that he had confided with several staff members that he had the documents.

This came on the back of suggestions from Ferrari's High Court application last week that McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale had also been made aware of the documents - although it was not known when and how he had found out.

McLaren have today dismissed those suggestions, however, and reiterated their stance that Coughlan acted alone in having the documents.

They also made it clear that no one at the team knew of the situation until Ferrari began their legal action by applying for a search order of Coughlan's house.

The statement said: "McLaren is concerned that erroneous speculation has arisen from inaccurate and misleading reference to the contents of confidential legal papers filed at court in response to Ferrari's UK action to recover its intellectual property.

"This is unfortunate and is prejudicial to a fair interpretation of these matters.

"McLaren can confirm from its own investigation that no Ferrari materials or data are or have ever been in the possession of any McLaren employee other than the individual sued by Ferrari.

"The fact that he held at his home unsolicited materials from Ferrari was not known to any other member of the team prior to the 3rd July 2007."

The FIA has summoned McLaren to an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council on July 26 to answer charges of 'fraudulent conduct' over Coughlan's possession of the material.

The team have repeatedly insisted that no information from the Ferrari documents has manifested itself on their car.

"McLaren has categorically established that no Ferrari information has at any stage been used to develop its car," the statement added.

"McLaren looks forward to having the opportunity to present the complete and accurate picture of events in the appropriate forum, that is before the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on 26th July 2007."