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Designer in 'Spygate' returns
Source: Agencies |
May 4, 2011, Wednesday
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WILLIAMS named Mike Coughlan, the designer sacked by McLaren four years ago for his role in a US$100 million Formula One spying controversy, as its new chief engineer yesterday.
The team said Coughlan, who has been working in the US NASCAR series with Michael Waltrip Racing, would be joining next month.
At the same time, the struggling former champion said technical director Sam Michael and chief aerodynamicist Jon Tomlinson had resigned and will leave at the end of the year.
Williams Chairman Adam Parr told reporters in London he had also tendered his resignation to team co-founders Frank Williams and Patrick Head, who intends to retire this year, and shareholder Christian 'Toto' Wolff but they had rejected it.
Parr had warned at this month's Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai that the Cosworth-powered team, which has yet to score a point in three races this season with Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and Venezuelan rookie Pastor Maldonado, had to make changes.
Coughlan's appointment will be controversial, even though the Briton has served out a two-year ban from the sport for his role in the so-called 'Spygate' affair of 2007 that cost McLaren a record US$100 million fine and the loss of all its constructors' points. McLaren sacked its chief designer after he was found to have a 780-page dossier of secret Ferrari information in his possession. Ferrari also dismissed Nigel Stepney, the British engineer accused of passing the information to Coughlan.
"I will dedicate myself to the team and to ensuring that we return to competitiveness while respecting the ethical standards with which Williams has always been synonymous," Coughlan said in a statement.
Parr said Coughlan had wanted to return to Britain for family reasons and would be responsible for next year's FW34 car, as well as "driving forward the engineering process" while Michael focused on this year's car.
He said the team had carefully considered Coughlan's past but had decided that he had served out his penalty and learned his lesson.
"Everyone has the right to move beyond that. Otherwise what is portrayed as a two-year penalty becomes a lifetime penalty and I think that is just not right ... that experience makes you a better person."
Williams said Michael and Tomlinson would both remain until the end of the season to help the team maintain focus and momentum.
Meanwhile, Formula One's governing body has given Bahrain until June 3 to decide if a new date can be set for the Bahrain Grand Prix this year. The Bahrain GP was originally scheduled to be the season-opening race on March 13. It was canceled by Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa after anti-government protests in the country.
The FIA had originally set a deadline of May 1 for a decision. The new date coincides with the FIA's World Motor Sport Council meeting in Barcelona.
The team said Coughlan, who has been working in the US NASCAR series with Michael Waltrip Racing, would be joining next month.
At the same time, the struggling former champion said technical director Sam Michael and chief aerodynamicist Jon Tomlinson had resigned and will leave at the end of the year.
Williams Chairman Adam Parr told reporters in London he had also tendered his resignation to team co-founders Frank Williams and Patrick Head, who intends to retire this year, and shareholder Christian 'Toto' Wolff but they had rejected it.
Parr had warned at this month's Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai that the Cosworth-powered team, which has yet to score a point in three races this season with Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and Venezuelan rookie Pastor Maldonado, had to make changes.
Coughlan's appointment will be controversial, even though the Briton has served out a two-year ban from the sport for his role in the so-called 'Spygate' affair of 2007 that cost McLaren a record US$100 million fine and the loss of all its constructors' points. McLaren sacked its chief designer after he was found to have a 780-page dossier of secret Ferrari information in his possession. Ferrari also dismissed Nigel Stepney, the British engineer accused of passing the information to Coughlan.
"I will dedicate myself to the team and to ensuring that we return to competitiveness while respecting the ethical standards with which Williams has always been synonymous," Coughlan said in a statement.
Parr said Coughlan had wanted to return to Britain for family reasons and would be responsible for next year's FW34 car, as well as "driving forward the engineering process" while Michael focused on this year's car.
He said the team had carefully considered Coughlan's past but had decided that he had served out his penalty and learned his lesson.
"Everyone has the right to move beyond that. Otherwise what is portrayed as a two-year penalty becomes a lifetime penalty and I think that is just not right ... that experience makes you a better person."
Williams said Michael and Tomlinson would both remain until the end of the season to help the team maintain focus and momentum.
Meanwhile, Formula One's governing body has given Bahrain until June 3 to decide if a new date can be set for the Bahrain Grand Prix this year. The Bahrain GP was originally scheduled to be the season-opening race on March 13. It was canceled by Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa after anti-government protests in the country.
The FIA had originally set a deadline of May 1 for a decision. The new date coincides with the FIA's World Motor Sport Council meeting in Barcelona.
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