News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A Formula One mechanic at the heart of the sort's "spy-gate" scandal jumped in front of a lorry on a busy motorway days, an inquest heard.

Nigel Stepney, 56, helped guide Michael Schumacher to five world championships but was sacked as chief mechanic at Ferrari after allegations of industrial espionage.

He was sentenced to 20 months in prison for sabotage, industrial espionage and sporting fraud after leaking almost 800 pages of confidential Ferrari information to McLaren ahead of the 2007 season.

Mr Stepney did not serve the sentence but lost his job and never worked in F1 again.

An inquest has heard how he was killed on the M20 on May 2.

The father-of-four had been driving home to Colchester, Essex, from Belgium when he pulled over to the hardshoulder near Ashford, Kent.

(Image: Clive Mason)

He switched his lights off, got out of his silver VW van and locked the doors.

Dutch HGV driver Jan Byl told an inquest in Folkestone, Kent, this week that Stepney then "dived" in front of his lorry before he had time to hit the brake.

A friend of Mr Stepney, karen Day, told the inquest that he had asked her to be the witness to two new life insurance policies just three days before the crash.

But Mr Stepney's partner of nine years, Ash Naidoo told the inquest her boyfriend was not suicidal.

She said: "He drives great distances every day and he gets very tired. The onset is very sudden and he often has to pull over to have a breather.

"I believe he stopped for that reason. He endured many things that could have persuaded him to do this eight years ago and he got through them.

"He loved his life and he loved his daughter too much to abandon her."

Coroner Rachel Redman said she could not record a verdict of suicide and instead recorded an open verdict.