McLaren racing director Eric Boullier has rubbished claims that staff bonuses come in the form of Freddo chocolate, but says he will look to find out why one disgruntled employee has claimed this is the case.
A report in the Daily Mail claimed that McLaren staff are considering strike action due to the atmosphere within the team, with one anonymous employee quoted as saying that the reward for their hard work is often a single bar of chocolate each.
Heading into Formula One's French Grand Prix on Sunday, Freddos dominated the news conference agenda as Boullier was pushed on the validity of these suggestions.
"No, it's not true. We are not working with some Freddos," he said, before taking issue with one reporter's line of questioning. "If you're really desperate to test the Freddo chocolate, we can send a box to you. Don't worry."
Having earlier confirmed that he does not plan to resign, Boullier added: "It's a journey. It's not a plug and play story. It's a journey when you have to work, too. You're after me, apparently..."
Boullier also promised that he would be addressing any unhappiness in the camp.
"This is obviously an internal matter, so we need to discuss what we need to see internally, why that individual is unhappy," he said.
"We have 800 people and we have a lot of support from the workforce and from the engineering. I think it's just a matter of a couple of people who are grumpy.
"Actually, in some ways, it's maybe good for us because we have a lot of feedback and good feedback."
