By DPA
Maranello (Italy) : Ferrari have started court proceedings against their performance development chief Nigel Stepney, accusing the British technician of attempted sabotage.
Italian media reported Friday that Ferrari are accusing the Briton, who is a former technical manager of the team, of being involved in an incident ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix during which a mysterious powder was found on the gas tanks of their two cars.
The reports said that the powder was sent for examination to the police, while the parts were removed and replaced.
Friday's issue of La Gazzetta dello Sport quotes team principal Jean Todt as saying: "The fact that we have handed a report to the prosecutor shows that we have discovered something illegal."
However, he did not elaborate on what they discovered.
The prosecutor's office has already started an investigation.
Ferrari spokesman Luca Colajanni confirmed Friday that Stepney was named in the report, which the team handed to the court in Modena. The team also said that they had started an internal investigation.
Stepney, who remains an employee of the team, but does not accompany them to races, is said to have been interested in taking over from technical director Ross Brawn when he took a year off at the end of last year, but Todt decided against appointing Stepney.
After seven of 17 season races, Ferrari is lagging well behind McLaren-Mercedes who have 106 points from championship leaders Lewis Hamilton (58) and defending champion Fernando Alonso (48), while Ferrari only has 71 (Felipe Massa 39 and Kimi Raikkonen 32).
Meanwhile, Ferrari is celebrating its 60th anniversary in Maranello this week and Fiat and Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo said he expects the team to find its old strength.
He also called on Raikkonen to close the gap to the leading McLarens. "We are waiting for the real Raikkonen, whom everybody feared," he said.
He expects the team to be able to compete with McLaren soon. "We need to be competitive again and we have everything necessary to be that."