Fake Bearing Downs Mclaren

Mika Hakkinen's Imola retirement has been blamed on a batch of fake
bearings which found their way onto his McLaren.


Hakkinen's gearbox problem on lap 11 - McLaren's only retirement of the
season so far - prompted investigations by the Woking team, which
subsequently uncovered sub-standard bearings virtually indistinguishable
from McLaren's regular supply. The team's supplier confirmed that the
bearings were not genuine, believing them to have come from the Far East
and worked their way into the supply chain between manufacturer and final
user.


McLaren boss Ron Dennis has declined to make the investigation a criminal
matter, not believing his team to be the target. He is concerned, however,
that other teams may also unwittingly use the fake bearings, with similar
results.