McLaren Mercedes have finally settled their dispute with Ferrari stemming from last year's 'spy scandal'.
Court costs paid
McLaren Mercedes have finally settled their dispute with Ferrari and agreed to pay the Italian team's court costs stemming from the Formula One 'spy scandal' which gripped the sport last year.
The FIA dropped proceedings after McLaren apologized last December for their part in the scandal, in which Ferrari data and documents were found at the home of chief designer Mike Coughlan.
McLaren had already been subjected to a fine of some US$100 million (then £49.2 million) by world motorsport's governing body and stripped of their Constructors' Championship points for 2007.
The FIA found them guilty of breaching article 151c of their sporting code, which refers to "any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interests of motor sport generally".
McLaren said that both sides had agreed to bring the dispute to a "final conclusion."
"In light of the formal closure in December 2007 of the FIA and FIA World Motor Sport Council proceedings against McLaren, and of McLaren's public apology to Ferrari which we have reiterated, Ferrari and McLaren have agreed to bring the various disputes between them in relation to this matter to a final conclusion," McLaren said in a statement.
"McLaren has also agreed to the reimbursement of Ferrari's costs and expenses relating to these matters and a concluding payment."
A Ferrari statement released on Friday read: "Ferrari acknowledges McLaren's reiterated apology for the well known events which occurred during the 2007 F1 Championship and, in the best interests of Formula 1 and taking into account the formal closure in December 2007 of the FIA and FIA World Motor Sport Council proceedings against McLaren, it confirms that it has accepted to put an end to all outstanding controversies between the two teams.
"Ferrari will donate to charity the concluding payment received from McLaren."
No financial details of the settlement were given.
Claims
Ferrari also stated that they will continue to pursue their claims against former employee Nigel Stepney, who is alleged to have both passed the confidential information to Coughlan and also sabotaged the team's cars.
A magistrate in Ferrari's home Italian province of Modena has been conducting a long investigation into the affair and McLaren executives were questioned in February and materials taken away for examination.
The complex probe had gone quiet in recent months and Ferrari's statement now means magistrate Giuseppe Tibis will only concentrate on Stepney, who has already been interviewed.
The FIA said in March that it would take no action against the former Ferrari engineer, who it said had admitted being involved in the spy scandal and had apologised.
However, Stepney has denied allegations of sabotage - Ferrari saying that a mysterious powder was found around the petrol caps of their cars before last year's Monaco Grand Prix.
Powder turned up in Stepney's trouser pocket but the Briton has said he was set up.
