P1racenews AI automatic summary:
It’s the biggest fine ever issued to a sports team and has serious ramifications to this day, all started by a photocopier in Woking.
“In the aftermath of the 2007 espionage crisis in Formula 1, the scandal became known as Spygate, reminiscent of the Watergate scandal in the 1970s. McLaren, one of the sport’s biggest teams, was hit with a record-breaking fine of $100 million and lost its Constructors’ Championship title after being caught in possession of 800 pages of confidential Ferrari technical information. The key players in Spygate were Nigel Stepney of Ferrari and Mike Coughlan, Chief Designer of McLaren, who conspired to steal and share the information. However, their plan unraveled when Coughlan’s wife attempted to make photocopies of the documents at a shop owned by a Ferrari fan who alerted the team. McLaren was cleared of any wrongdoing by the FIA, but tensions arose within the team between drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. The relationship reached its breaking point during qualifying in Hungary, when Alonso blocked Hamilton’s final flying lap. Alonso then threatened to reveal new information about Spygate unless McLaren ensured Hamilton ran out of fuel in a race. The full extent of this demand was revealed by BBC Sport in 2018.”
