Nigel Stepney

Nigel Stepney is an English mechanic who exerts in the medium of the Formule 1. Emblematic personality of the Scuderia Ferrari for which he worked of 1993 to 2007, occupying the station of chef-mécanicien a long time, he is since June 2007 in the middle of a judicial enquiry into an attempt supposed at sabotage of the Italian single-seaters like on the division of confidential informations for the account of unfavourable stable.

Biography

Of mechanic with framework of Ferrari

Come with the automobile sport by the means of of the championship of Europe of the private cars, Nigel Stepney started with worked in Formule 1 at the end of years 1970 within the stable Shadow. After nine last years at Lotus of 1980 to 1988, it joined Benetton where it remains until 1991. In 1992, at the request of the pilot Nelson Stake (whom it cotoyé at Lotus then Benetton), it takes the orders of the new stable of Formule 3000 Piquet Racing. The experiment lasts only one year and at the beginning of 1993, Stepney turns over in Formula 1, within the Scuderia Ferrari. At Ferrari, Stepney reaches quickly the role of head mechanic then to that of managing technical teams of race and test, a role which is worth to him with beginning of the year 2000 to be regularly quoted in the specialized press as one of the characters - keys of the device set up by Jean Todt which crushes the championship of the world then. Less known of the general public, it is pointed out all the same at the time of the GP of Spain 2000 when it is made reverse by its pilot Michael Schumacher at the time of a stop with the tumultuous stands.

During the intersaison 2006-2007, Stepney, dissatisfied with the recasting of the flow chart of Scuderia consecutive Ferrari to the promotion of Jean Todt and the beginning of Ross Brawn, expresses its desire openly to leave Ferrari. It remains within the Italian team, but at a different station, which does not lead it any more to move on the Grands Prix.

The Stepney business

June 21st, 2007, the press reveals that following a complaint of Ferrari, the Prosecutor of Modena opened in his opposition a judicial enquiry. The reasons of this investigation are not revealed, but it would be related to an attempt supposed at sabotage of the single-seaters Ferrari a few days before GP of Monaco, a mysterious white powder having been discovered near the tanks of the cars. Questioned by the press on the subject a few days later, Nigel Stepney denies the charges carried against him.

July 3rd, 2007, the business experiences a new development, with the advertisement by Scuderia Ferrari which it carried felt sorry for against Nigel Stepney for communication of confidential informations on the Ferrari F2007 to member of Mclaren - Mercedes-Benz, which would be Mike Coughlan, the designer as a chief of the stable germano-British. The morning even, Ferrari had announced the dismissal of Stepney at the conclusion of an internal survey.

See too

Affaires of espionage Formulates 1 in 2007 of them

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