Motor Racing: Ferrari Accuse Englishman of Sabotage

Ferrari have been shaken by Italian newspaper reports that a long-time employee, the Englishman Nigel Stepney, is under criminal investigation for alleged "sabotage" after an ongoing internal investigation at the Maranello-based company. Stepney, who until the end of last year held the key post of race and test team technical manager for Ferrari, was regarded as a major contributor to the elite group who helped Michael Schumacher win five of his world championships for the Italian team. The investigation comes only a few months after two former Ferrari employees were found guilty of passing aerodynamic information to their rivals Toyota.

"Ferrari have taken action against Nigel Stepney ," said a Ferrari spokesman yesterday, declining to elaborate on the details of the investigation.

It is understood Stepney is on leave and unlikely to return to his post. Sources close to Ferrari indicate the Modena district attorney has launched a criminal investigation after receiving the team's complaint with accompanying documents. A public defence lawyer has been appointed to represent Stepney in his absence.

Stepney, who comes from Warwickshire, worked with Ayrton Senna at Lotus in the 80s and then Benetton before joining Ferrari a decade ago. A disciple of the technical director Ross Brawn, he was moved to a factory-based role at the start of the season after his request to follow Brawn into a year's sabbatical was refused. Speaking to Autosport magazine earlier this year, he said: "I'm not currently happy with the situation within the team - I really want to move forward with my career and that's something that's not happening right now."