What? F1 spy to work for Aston Martin?

Nigel Stepney, whose alleged actions of sabotage and espionage sparked F1's infamous spying affair this year, has landed a new job, according to reports. The Briton, fired and now pursued civilly by the Maranello based team and also by criminal prosecutors in Italy, will shortly begin work at Aston Martin in the UK, the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport reports on Tuesday. The news, however, was not confirmed by Stepney's Italian lawyer, Sonia Bartolini.

Aston Martin was sold by Ford earlier this year to a consortium led by Prodrive chief and incoming F1 team owner David Richards. "We are confident we have all the right ingredients to take Aston Martin to even greater heights," he was quoted as saying at the time.

The FIA said in July that Stepney, and his 'Stepney-gate' conspirator Mike Coughlan, would be pursued by the governing body's legal department and possibly banned from international motor sport "for a lengthy period". (GMM)