suspended mclaren employee is mike coughlan

Mike Coughlan, McLaren's chief designer, is the senior engineer suspected of espionage against Ferrari, autosport.com has learned.

The 48-year-old Briton is suspected of unlawfully obtaining technical material belonging to Ferrari in collaboration with Ferrari's Nigel Stepney.

In a search conducted by the police at Coughlan's house today, documents allegedly belonging to Ferrari were found, leading McLaren to suspend him while Ferrari said they reserve the right to pursue further legal action.

Coughlan joined McLaren as chief designer in August 2002 after four years with the Arrows F1 team. His initial role there was chief designer, and in the last couple of years he was promoted to technical director.

Coughlan was also head of the design office at Benetton in 1991, and later in his career worked for the Ferrari Design and Development office in England. He also worked as race engineer at Tyrrell in the mid-1990s.

@#$%& MCLAREN

I dont think mclaren can help this, he got the documents, not mclaren, he is chief designer, so i think he got ideas from ferrari maybe becouse he didnt had any anymore

didnt think would be a this big name?!!!!

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"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL

In life you will learn when you work for a company you represent that company. If I worked for BMW I am my name and I'm a BMW employee. It follows you everywhere. You represent the brand. Mike Coughlan represents Mclaren. Mike Coughlan was Mclarens Technical director.

Yikes, surprised by this one. Things are getting interesting, hehe...

I wonder how much McLaren will be affected by this.

Considering that completely his first and last car for McLaren was MP4-18, not much.

Interesting:

[f1.gpupdate.net]

Yes it's Dutch, so I'll summarize:

Ferrari have confirmed that they have sued somebody at McLaren. Coincedentally, it's the same person that's been suspended, who is Mike Coughlan.

dolinseks Wrote:
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> Considering that completely his first and last car
> for McLaren was MP4-18, not much.


Interesting opinion if thinking about how great that car wud have been on race tracks (IF it wud have passed crash tests in time...).

Kimi, so, Massa Fernando Sebastian is faster than you. Can you confirm you understood that message?

this is pretty big news.

i wonder how much of Mclarens current success is down to this

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"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL

Yeah, and more than 100km without technical faliure.

wonder what the media are going to make of this

maybe questionning lewis hamiltons's success ?

Blimey two big F1 names now in disgrace, whatever next! I'm sure Mclaren have not benfitted from this fiasco but losing Coughlan can't be good for the team.

IWE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dolinseks Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Considering that completely his first and last
> car
> > for McLaren was MP4-18, not much.
>
>
> Interesting opinion if thinking about how great
> that car wud have been on race tracks (IF it wud
> have passed crash tests in time...).


that means nothing, IWE. it didn't pass the tests, so we can't know how good or bad it would have been.

it's like building a car 200kg lighter than is allowed, with a larger engine than is allowed, and saying "imagine how good this car would have been if it passed the tests".

it wouldn't be legal so there's no sense in imagining how well it could have gone.

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RIP Jules, never to be forgotten. #KeepFightingMichael

McLaren have only promoted Coughlan as an intermediary after the departure of Newey. Im led to understand that whilst hes competent at his job hes not the innovator McLaren are used to. The Gordon Murray's and John Barnard's of this world for example.

His departure whilst destabilising in the short term wont have any real long term effects. The only time that will happen is if current developments based on "stolen" ideas have to be scrapped for legal reason. IMO

I doubt that will happen, it would be a disaster if Mclaren had to redesign their car because of what has happened.

Shocking

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Scuderia Ferrari Forever

Muks_C Wrote:
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> that means nothing, IWE. it didn't pass the tests,
> so we can't know how good or bad it would have
> been.
>
> it's like building a car 200kg lighter than is
> allowed, with a larger engine than is allowed, and
> saying "imagine how good this car would have been
> if it passed the tests".
>
> it wouldn't be legal so there's no sense in
> imagining how well it could have gone.



Well.. Just take illegal bottom and wing(s) off from this year Ferrari and your opinion might have some base too..

Kimi, so, Massa Fernando Sebastian is faster than you. Can you confirm you understood that message?

yeah and from the other 4 or 5 teams who used the same parts...

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RIP Jules, never to be forgotten. #KeepFightingMichael

Well well well, seems Ron had an "ace in the hole" for his pet Hamilton after all. Thieving Mclaren bastards....



"There are some pikeys there at Turn 10 putting tarmac down - what do you think of that?" - Martin Brundle