McLaren probe dropped by FIA
McLaren chief Ron Dennis is free of the "spygate" investigation
Tuesday, 18, Dec 2007 09:07
The investigation into Formula One's 'spying scandal' has been wound up after McLaren apologised for using technical data from rivals Ferrari.
The FIA, formula one's governing body, said that it now considered the matter closed after the Woking-based team admitted that the rogue information had been made available to individuals throughout their set-up.
A planned hearing in February that could have seen McLaren kicked out of the sport for a year was cancelled last week after Ron Dennis and his colleagues agreed to a voluntary freeze on the development of features that could be construed as deriving from Ferrari.
"In the light of McLaren's public apology and undertakings, the FIA President has asked the members of the World Motor Sport Council for their consent to cancel the hearing scheduled for 14 February 2008 and, in the interests of the sport, to consider this matter closed," read a statement on the FIA's website.
McLaren have already received a £50 million fine and been docked their constructors points for the past season as a result of the affair.
There could still be further punishments for the team as Ferrari have launched lawsuits against their opponents in both England and Italy.
A statement from the title-winning team claimed that the FIA's decision brought the "incident to a close from a sporting point of view".