Espionage at Ferrari and McLaren

[Tifoso]

I hate saying "maybe; what about..." so I just can say that if Ferrari, has gone so far with this problem, something has happened. I don't think that they are angry with him so they've decided to mess things up and try to publicise fake-news.

Somehitng has happenned, and if Ferrari have done all this is because it's important, not just a money/personal affair.

[manchild]

I mentioned powder and white line, Dave wrote "white powder", Ciro mentioned Colombia...

BTW, There is a way to postpone problems without engineers noticing a thing before it happens.

During WWII saboteurs were putting various substances in one or several condoms in order to make Nazi vehicles brake down far from the bases. Depending on type of fuel and its ability to eat up rubber they've used multiple condoms to prolong the process as much as it takes.

Simplest substance was sugar while best the one tested by Brits was some coconut milk or syrup made of it that was causing permanent damage to the engine parts.

Try it with your bosses car - one condom, some sugar or coconut milk. You can also put some baking soda in the cells of car battery if you have the time

[f1.redbaron]

I was under the impression that FIA tests the samples of the fuel before and after the race to ensure that the teams don't cheat. If that is true, who in their right mind, would try to mess with the fuel like that.

Also, are we absolutely sure that it wasn't Kimi who was...ummmm....you know....

[manchild]

Head of 'Ferrari' cocaine gang jailed for 21 years

Evening Standard (London), Jul 24, 2006 by PAUL CHESTON

A COLOMBIAN drugs gang who were caught with more than Pounds 7 million of cocaine branded with famous car marques have been jailed.

The group, which included a former senior police officer, tested the drug and divided it into bags marked with Ferrari, Audi and Mini Cooper logos to signify quality.

The purest cocaine was stamped with the "prancing horse" logo while lesser quality batches were marked with the "five rings" symbol.

Detectives found 108kg of the drug under the bed at their flat in Stoke Newington.

Gang boss Victor Gonzalez-Justinico, 36, was jailed for 21 years and his girlfriend Lilian Garces-Rossero, 30, for 17 years. The delivery man, Alexander Agudelo, 35, a former special branch officer in Colombia, was jailed for 12 years and Maria Zuluagu, 32, got seven. A fifth gang member Hector Correa-Rios, 30, will be sentenced later.

Southwark Crown Court heard the gang devised a code language using colours and fruits to give different instructions. For example "Lemon 7" meant " turn of f the phone"; "Red 2" equalled "held up in traffic" and "Red 5" translated as "problem with police". Mobile phone records and undercover customspatrols last April linked the defendants to the operation. The gang was arrested after police stopped a van driven by Agudelo which was carrying a 40kg consignment.
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This led to the search of the Stoke Newington flat, inhabited by Zuluago and Correa-Rios, where the bulk of the cocaine was discovered.

Judge Peter Testar said he had no doubt that Gonzalez-Justinico was "close to the centre of this conspiracy".

Garces-Rossero, who wept as sentence was passed, had lied in order to gain asylum.

She said her father had been murdered by guerrillas and she had been gang-raped as a child before admitting she made up both stories.

(c)2006. Associated Newspapers Ltd.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.

Perhaps it was "just" ecstasy?

[Carlos]

I've been reading Chinese proverbs today, since we're engaged in prophecy, here is my contribution

Concerning scapegoating and motivating your organization.

"Slaughter a chicken to frighten the monkeys."

[ketanpaul]

I think, for Ferrari to go against an employee who has been such a key factor to the high performance of the cars over the years.....is a bit serious. Ferrari have gone to a public judge which is something they would just not do if it had been a minor offence. Moreover, they have actually not suspended Nigel and from what I've heard, he's still going to work. This is very odd, as if it had been such a serious problem like sabotage etc, Ferrari would've first fired him. It just doesn't make any sense.

Ferrari is currently under Jean Todt who himself has been a fan of Nigel's work and it is very odd for me to think that he would actually take legal action against such an employee for an offence that is not big enough to get him fired. I cant understand this.....................but in a time like this, Schumi would've been a great help

[jddh1]

it's not april fools is it?

[modbaraban]

Also, are we absolutely sure that it wasn't Kimi who was...ummmm....you know....

either him (pic taken in Monaco btw):

or him:

[Rob W]

I doubt Ferrari would go to public court to investigate some sort of espionage.. It's far more likely they've gone to enforce some aspect of his employment agreement - such as non-disclosure of technical or strategic details, or testing data for example. Other than that, maybe he's got a non-engagement time-frame in his contract (like sports people often do) which he's breached by talking to another team.

But putting white powder in the fuel tank? Wouldn't he, in a round-about way, be showing that he's not up to the task and therefore not worth another team employing... The idea is to go out of a job on a high note.

Rob W

[Tom]

Autosport suggests that some Ferrari employees were actually selling information to other teams!

Manchild: the sugar condom idea, what kind of traces does it leave? are we talking obviouse sabotage or 'hmm, thats odd, oh well'?
My old maths teacher is in need of being brought down a peg or two.

[FLC]

"Brezigher confirmed that Stepney's apartment in Serramazzoni had been searched".

"On the matter of Stepney being unreachable, it must not be considered as an attempt to flee. I'm convinced he is on vacation and in the dark about this story".

If they got permission to search they must have some minimal evidence, if not more than that. I also don't understand how can someone be in the dark about something as big as this, as he's married and has a little baby (who was born on the French GP of 2006). Sounds suspicious enough to me.

[manchild]

Autosport suggests that some Ferrari employees were actually selling information to other teams!

Manchild: the sugar condom idea, what kind of traces does it leave? are we talking obviouse sabotage or 'hmm, thats odd, oh well'?
My old maths teacher is in need of being brought down a peg or two.

I was just kidding! Don't do it for real!

This sugar theory is wide spread rumor while coconut milk (or a syrup made of it, I'm not sure) was a proved way of sabotage during WWII as it completely destroys the engine.

You can experiment without harming anyone: put some gasoline in a jar, put any substance in the condom, tie a knot on its end and dip it in. Than measure condom per time and calculate how many condoms would it take to make for example a car traveling at average of 60 kph stall after one hour

If you're wondering how come I know this the answer is simple - Discovery Channel and one episode about WWII

[Carlos]

Ahh Manchild - the only thing we "suspect you of" - is being an F1 authority!

Edit - Sugar compounds carbonize to coke-like deposits. We had an application of this technique in the neighbourhood - the car got about 8 blocks - the insurance company wrote off the car.

The Ferrari situation - just because charges have been filed - the court may dismiss them - evidence may not be substantial - but a man's reputation is at stake - his reputation may be destroyed - he may very well never work in motorsport again. This incident illustrates more about the character of Ferrari and the disarray of the team. Most companies would have solved the problem - if it actually happened - by isolating a dsigruntled employee to the sidelines - a quite corner office - instead it's all a public farce. Dignity and civilty is ignored.

[FLC]

The Ferrari situation - just because charges have been filed - the court may dismiss them - evidence may not be substantial - but a man's reputation is at stake - his reputation may be destroyed - he may very well never work in motorsport again. This incident illustrates more about the character of Ferrari and the disarray of the team. Most companies would have solved the problem - if it actually happened - by isolating a dsigruntled employee to the sidelines - a quite corner office - instead it's all a public farce. Dignity and civilty is ignored.

Like I said, his appointed attorney admitted that Stepney's apartment has been searched. You don't get permission to search someone's place, unless you have enough liable evidence, which are reviewed by the court.

As for Ferrari's character, I hope that every professional team/organization/company who has evidence which prove that one of their employees have rotten the criminal way goes to court and file an official complaint against them, rather than isolating them to the sidelines in a corner office. That's absurd.

If any of this is true, and like I said before I think it is to most of its extent, or otherwise Ferrari wouldn't bother pressing charges, I don't think all of you quite get the seriousness of things. If, for example another team is involved in this, and I sure very much hope that this is not the case, F1 is in for a serious shake.

[Carlos]

Life, employment and corporations can be absurd. I was once hired to straighten up a company situation where the workforce was in disarray. I was brought in as an outside trouble shooter to straighten things up. Things didn't go so very well. Should I have filed charges? Not if I wanted to work in the particular industry again. Locally the firm and owner were quite powerful.

A couple of gallons of syrup was poured over my car, the doorhandles coated with grease. My employer felt the easiest way to solve the problem - was to ask me to quitely leave. I submitted a lengthy report. The situation was intolerable. I accepted termination of my consultant contract. Received a bonus for my efforts and cooperation.The unit eventually went into bankrupcy. Yes - very absurd. I now never asume that justice or fairness always prevail. I'll reserve further comment and observe how this F1 criminal case is resovled. I do not underestimate it's importance to Formula1.