Mercedes to sue former employer
Discussion
I'd say the are two reasons he has done this.
Either he's worried about performing in his new role at Ferrari, wants to glean over the data himself in order to appear cleverer than he really is in front of his new bosses.
Or, he has done this complicit with Ferrari and they already have the data.
Either he's worried about performing in his new role at Ferrari, wants to glean over the data himself in order to appear cleverer than he really is in front of his new bosses.
Or, he has done this complicit with Ferrari and they already have the data.
Derek Smith said:
One nasty aspect of this - if I've read it correctly - is that it seems that Merc is trying to bankrupt Hoyle. Perhaps it would have been better to go for discipline in the expectation that Hoyle would be banned from the sport for a season.
If the explanation of the details proves to be correct, then is that nasty? I don't think it is in the context of the severity of what has occurred to the potential losses to Mercedes. They obviously need to tighten up their IT security, but to gain access to what is alleged, post his removal from the F1 projects would take some effort and he would have known there would be serious consequences if caught.What's equally as important, is the statement by Mercedes that Ferrari "have potentially gained an unlawful advantage". That is rather a serious statement to make.
Some more detail in this report - http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/analysis-mercede...
The allegations certainly make it appear he was making sure he got as much as possible in preparation for wherever he might have been going.
The allegations certainly make it appear he was making sure he got as much as possible in preparation for wherever he might have been going.
Max_Torque said:
I think the only thing you can be sure of, is that NOBODY is telling the full truth in this one.........
+1Ferrari would take the data if it were offered, I'd assume most teams would. The sport is too lucrative and competitive for them not to.
Mercedes will already have assumed that the data has been copied, analysed, etc, so are just punitively going after Hoyle. There is after all no practical value in him "giving back the data". They're probably looking to send a clear message to other employees who might have thought about this.
So they say they wiped his laptop, restricted his IT access, restricted his building access, and moved him to work in another area of the business and he *still* managed to get their confidential data? If one takes this to be true (sounds a bit odd to me) then their procedures are pretty sloppy. Which I'm not sure I really believe.
Also sounds a bit odd the sheer number of things they claim data is on. I can understand a USB device or two or a memory card or two but this sounds like stuff was scattered everywhere? Also sounds like a pretty odd collection of data to grab.
As has been said though once the corporate legal team have it in for you it can be hard to get out of it even if you haven't really done anything.
Also sounds a bit odd the sheer number of things they claim data is on. I can understand a USB device or two or a memory card or two but this sounds like stuff was scattered everywhere? Also sounds like a pretty odd collection of data to grab.
As has been said though once the corporate legal team have it in for you it can be hard to get out of it even if you haven't really done anything.
Your making it sound like he's innocent?... and merely being stitched up by a big cooperation for no reason!?...
If he is guilty, and it sounds like it is the case, then he needs the book thrown at him, I'd lock the little s
t away for a year, It may even teach the youth of today the consequence of being a little weasel.
If he is guilty, and it sounds like it is the case, then he needs the book thrown at him, I'd lock the little s
t away for a year, It may even teach the youth of today the consequence of being a little weasel. Max_Torque said:
Unfortunately, for Ben, he's not going to be in a position to even contest the case. 1 individual against the legal might of well funded corporate lawyers. I think we can say justice will not be forthcoming in any circumstance......
The cynic in me says Ferrari have already seen this data, maybe they've already seen some benefit from it, maybe shell haven't found a 25% gain in fuel like they bust a gut in making sure everybody knew they had, maybe it was just a cover up, maybe Ferrari have welched on the job offer and are washing their hands of it now its all out in the open.
Non of this could be true of course just guess work
Non of this could be true of course just guess work
Max_Torque said:
Being friends with Ben i'm not going to comment any more, but lets just say, trust no-one, take everything you read, from either side with a pinch of salt. There is much more going on here than you might think at face value.
OK, as one of his friends, can you answer this.Given what has happened, would your friend have acted differently?
Way I see it, he must have done something to raise suspicion, and from the looks of it now, he's comprehensively stuffed with Ferrari having washed their hands of him.
Max_Torque said:
Being friends with Ben i'm not going to comment any more, but lets just say, trust no-one, take everything you read, from either side with a pinch of salt. There is much more going on here than you might think at face value.
Yes, trust no one; especially disloyal, thieving employees. I doubt Mercedes would take action for no reason against one from many employees who move on every year. If the claim is spurious then he should resist it. They can't win without evidence of wrongdoing.
mycool said:
Is a possible reason for the lawsuit that it is a way of getting it in the public domain and therefore almost embarrassing/ daring Ferrari to use the data, if they have it? Is it also a way of clearly notifying the FIA of what has happened?
more likely they want the data destroyed and any copies made too.A court order is a pretty good way to enforce this.
As for the FIA, I can pretty much garrentee that Ferrari will not be be subject to the kind of witch hunt McLaren were subjected to, and I bet they already have seen said data.
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