It centres around McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan receiving information from Ferrari chief mechanic Nigel Stepney.

The story rumbles on all summer and Hamilton attends the hearing when McLaren are summoned before the World Motor Sport Council in Paris in September.

McLaren are eventually stripped of their points in the 2007 Formula One constructors' championship and fined $100m (�49.2m) but Hamilton and Alonso are allowed to keep their points.