Gilles Simon's move from the FIA to engine manufacturer PURE has worried the other engine companies in Formula One.
Simon was responsible for the FIA driving through new engine regulations in his role as head of powertrain, liaising closely with all of the manufacturers and gaining unprecedented access to their technology and planned developments. Simon will now leave his position to join up with Craig Pollock's new PURE outfit, which aims to supply engines when the new regulations come in to force in 2014.
Renault's engine technical director Rob White says he was worried that someone who had received such access was able to take the knowledge gathered with him to a direct competitor.
"Of course, it's of concern to all of us that in this close relationship with Gilles and the FIA over the past year, 18 months, that we've given unprecedented access to Gilles - we certainly have at Renault and I believe all of the engine companies have done so, particularly in respect of the state of progress in our respective engine development programmes alongside the rules package," White said. "And so, of course, we would be most concerned to be reassured that information to which Gilles has had access to in those very privileged circumstances as a representative of the FIA is not used in his new capacity as an employee of a competitor."
FIA technical delegate Charlie Whiting was in a similar position a decade ago when a potential move from the governing body to a team was blocked, and White said it was a risk that had to be monitored.
"It's a very complicated sport. In order that the technical and sporting regulations can be administered successfully, then we require the governing body to have good people and they probably require to have access to the teams, and therefore there's an obvious risk that needs to be managed, if the same people can crop up in a different shirt very shortly afterwards."
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