Stepney is serene after his interview with the magistrate

Former Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney told journalists he was very calm after being questioned on Monday by the Italian magistrate in charge of the espionage case between Scuderia and McLaren.

The Briton is accused of having provided technical information about the Italian team to McLaren’s chief designer Mike Coughlan, who has since been suspended from his duties.

The team from across the Channel was stripped of all its points in the constructors’ championship in 2007 and faced a $100 million fine last September imposed by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

But the interrogations continue, led by Modena prosecutor Giuseppe Tibis who wants to clarify the situation.

The latter said of Stepney that he had collaborated perfectly and that he had allowed the investigation to be deepened.

Stepney’s lawyer, Sonia Bartolini, stated that her client was in contact with Coughlan but had refused to pass on the information. She told reporters that other people have not been sufficiently heard in this case.

Ferrari also accused Stepney of attempted sabotage after a mysterious white powder was found around the tank caps of their car before the Monaco Grand Prix last May.

McLaren officials, including team principal Ron Dennis, were also supposed to meet Tibis on this Monday, but their meeting has been postponed to a later date.

The prosecutor has already questioned former McLaren driver Fernando Alonso and Spanish test driver Pedro de la Rosa.