McLaren have today escaped punishment despite being found to be in possession of confidential Ferrari information.

McLaren were made to answer a charge of 'fraudulent conduct' and following an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sports Council, the FIA - world motor sport's governing body - decided there was insufficient evidence to impose a penalty.

Timeline

June 21: Ferrari announce the launch of a criminal investigation against their head of performance development Nigel Stepney. No details are given as to the reason behind the investigation.

June 24: Stepney claims he is at the centre of "a dirty tricks campaign" after reports claiming he tampered with Ferrari cars in the lead-up to the Monaco Grand Prix in May appear in the Italian media, and expresses his confidence he will "be cleared by the legal process".

June 25: Ferrari boss Jean Todt maintains his team "has discovered something unlawful."

July 3: Following an internal disciplinary investigation, Stepney is dismissed by Ferrari. McLaren suspend a senior technical member of staff after discovering that person had become the subject of a Ferrari investigation regarding the receipt of "a package of technical information from a Ferrari employee at the end of April." Ferrari later allege a link between Stepney and McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan, presenting a case to the Modena tribunal "concerning the theft of technical information". Ferrari also confirm a warrant was obtained for the search of the McLaren engineer's home.

July 4: World motorsport's governing body, the FIA, launch their own investigation into the matter. McLaren claim they have completed their own thorough investigation and found that "no Ferrari intellectual property has been passed to any other members of the team or incorporated into its cars."

July 8: Stepney categorically denies copying or passing on any technical documents to Coughlan, insisting "they came from another source". He also claims to have fled Italy after being involved in "high-speed car chases", while adding his fiancee was being stalked and his car tracked.

July 10: Coughlan appears in the High Court in London for a preliminary hearing, with wife Trudy by his side. Both are accused by a lawyer representing Ferrari of "behaving disgracefully" with regard to the copying of 780 pages of technical information.

July 11: The hearing is called off after the Coughlans provide sworn affidavits relating to how they came into possession of the documents, and on the proviso the information is not released to the Italian authorities still conducting their own investigation for fear of self-incrimination.

July 12: The FIA summon McLaren to answer a charge of unauthorised possession of documents belonging to Ferrari at an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on July 26.

July 16: McLaren express their concern at apparent leaks from the affidavit in which other team members are implicated. McLaren insist no-one, other than the suspended employee, knew of the 'unsolicited material' prior to July 3.

July 20: McLaren submit a full account of their role in the saga to the FIA, to be used as the basis of their defence. Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug claims he does not believe the team "are guilty in any way" of wrongdoing.

July 26: At a hearing of the World Motor Sports Council, McLaren escape punishment after the FIA decide there is insufficient evidence. However, the FIA announced if the information stolen from Ferrari is found to be used in the future, McLaren could face the ultimate penalty of exclusion from this year's championship, and also in 2008.