OMEN
07-26-2007, 09:59 PM
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After a meeting of its World Motor Sport Council in Paris, world motorsport's governing body, the FIA, has found no evidence with which to punish McLaren in F1's 'spying' row.
Although the team were found guilty of possessing unauthorised documents originally belonging to rivals Ferrari, the WMSC could not decide whether McLaren had actually put the information to use.
The decision means that the team, and its drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, are therefore free to contest the remainder of the season. However, McLaren could yet be punished.
The FIA added that, were conclusive evidence to come to light in the future that McLaren did indeed use the documents to gain a competitive advantage, then the team could be excluded from both the 2007 and 2008 world championships.
An FIA statement read: "The WMSC is satisfied that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes was in possession of confidential Ferrari information and is therefore in breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.
"However, there is insufficient evidence that this information was used in such a way as to interfere improperly with the FIA Formula One World Championship. We therefore impose no penalty.
"But if it is found in the future that the Ferrari information has been used to the detriment of the championship, we reserve the right to invite Vodafone McLaren Mercedes back in front of the WMSC where it will face the possibility of exclusion from not only the 2007 championship, but also the 2008 championship."
The row came to a head at the start of July when it was revealed that McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan had been suspended by the team after acquiring the 780 pages of documents.
It was alleged to have been sent by Ferrari's former head of performance development Nigel Stepney, who is also fighting criminal proceedings in Italy with regard to the alleged sabotage of the team's cars prior to May's Monaco Grand Prix.
While Stepney has denied the claims, the FIA said it could yet impose heavy sanctions on both him and Coughlan.
"The WMSC will also invite Mr Stepney and Mr Coughlan to show reason why they should not be banned from international motor sport for a lengthy period, and the WMSC has delegated authority to deal with this matter to the legal department of the FIA," the statement added.
The FIA accused McLaren a fortnight ago of breaching article 151c of its sporting code, which outlines: "Any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interests of motor sport generally."
But McLaren boss Ron Dennis, who has vociferously defended his team and its sporting ethics, seemed resigned to the verdict.
"The process has been long and detailed," he said. "Although I'm not completely comfortable with the outcome, the punishment fits the crime."
However, in an angry response, Ferrari later said they found it "incomprehensible that violating the fundamental principle of sporting honesty does not have, as a logical and inevitable consequence, the application of a sanction.
"Today's decision legitimises dishonest behaviour in Formula One and sets a very serious precedent."
Hamilton currently holds a two-point lead over Alonso in the drivers' championship, with McLaren 27 points ahead of Ferrari at the top of the constructors' table.
Sky
After a meeting of its World Motor Sport Council in Paris, world motorsport's governing body, the FIA, has found no evidence with which to punish McLaren in F1's 'spying' row.
Although the team were found guilty of possessing unauthorised documents originally belonging to rivals Ferrari, the WMSC could not decide whether McLaren had actually put the information to use.
The decision means that the team, and its drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, are therefore free to contest the remainder of the season. However, McLaren could yet be punished.
The FIA added that, were conclusive evidence to come to light in the future that McLaren did indeed use the documents to gain a competitive advantage, then the team could be excluded from both the 2007 and 2008 world championships.
An FIA statement read: "The WMSC is satisfied that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes was in possession of confidential Ferrari information and is therefore in breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.
"However, there is insufficient evidence that this information was used in such a way as to interfere improperly with the FIA Formula One World Championship. We therefore impose no penalty.
"But if it is found in the future that the Ferrari information has been used to the detriment of the championship, we reserve the right to invite Vodafone McLaren Mercedes back in front of the WMSC where it will face the possibility of exclusion from not only the 2007 championship, but also the 2008 championship."
The row came to a head at the start of July when it was revealed that McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan had been suspended by the team after acquiring the 780 pages of documents.
It was alleged to have been sent by Ferrari's former head of performance development Nigel Stepney, who is also fighting criminal proceedings in Italy with regard to the alleged sabotage of the team's cars prior to May's Monaco Grand Prix.
While Stepney has denied the claims, the FIA said it could yet impose heavy sanctions on both him and Coughlan.
"The WMSC will also invite Mr Stepney and Mr Coughlan to show reason why they should not be banned from international motor sport for a lengthy period, and the WMSC has delegated authority to deal with this matter to the legal department of the FIA," the statement added.
The FIA accused McLaren a fortnight ago of breaching article 151c of its sporting code, which outlines: "Any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interests of motor sport generally."
But McLaren boss Ron Dennis, who has vociferously defended his team and its sporting ethics, seemed resigned to the verdict.
"The process has been long and detailed," he said. "Although I'm not completely comfortable with the outcome, the punishment fits the crime."
However, in an angry response, Ferrari later said they found it "incomprehensible that violating the fundamental principle of sporting honesty does not have, as a logical and inevitable consequence, the application of a sanction.
"Today's decision legitimises dishonest behaviour in Formula One and sets a very serious precedent."
Hamilton currently holds a two-point lead over Alonso in the drivers' championship, with McLaren 27 points ahead of Ferrari at the top of the constructors' table.
Sky