The justice system will question the McLaren executives…

The McLaren boss Ron Dennis and CEO Martin Whitmarsh are among the list of four senior officials of the Woking-based team who have been invited by Italian magistrates to answer questions about the espionage case that shook the F1 world in 2007.

Although the FIA definitively ruled out any possible sanctions in 2008 after McLaren publicly apologized for possessing elements belonging to Ferrari’s intellectual property, legal actions are still ongoing in the UK and Italy.

As part of this investigation, Giuseppe Tibis, the magistrate of Modena in charge of the inquiry, questioned the involvement of certain individuals in this matter. Last year, he had invited Fernando Alonso and Pedro de la Rosa to answer his questions.

Indeed, he informed McLaren’s lawyers in Italy that he wishes to speak with Dennis, Whitmarsh, chief designer Mike Coughlan, and engineering director Paddy Lowe. They have all been invited to meet with Tibis on February 18.

The former Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney, who provided information about his former team to Coughlan, has also been invited to appear.

The general manager of the British team, Jonathan Neale, and senior officials such as Rob Taylor, who works in design, are likely to be questioned as part of this case. However, Tibis has postponed their questioning until later.

McLaren has not yet officially commented on this interview request from the Modena magistrate.