Automotive News, Media & Press - McLaren Stripped of all Constructor Points and Fined $100M USD by FIA

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=40651&PO=40651


McLaren loses all constructors' points
Thursday, 13, September, 2007, 18:38


The FIA World Motor Sport Council has disqualified McLaren from the 2007 constructors' championship and imposed the largest fine in motorsport history – but Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso can continue to vie for the drivers' crown.


After nine hours of deliberations at the hearing in Paris, the 26-member World Council panel decided to punish the Woking-based team for breaking the sporting regulations through possessing confidential Ferrari data.


But while the decision to exclude McLaren from the constructors' contest hands that title to Ferrari, McLaren's drivers have escaped a penalty.


Hamilton and Alonso's battle for the world championship will therefore continue unaffected in the remaining four rounds.


The fine of $100m (£49.2 million) will be offset against the television income the team would have earned had it been eligible for constructors' points, but is nevertheless unprecedented in its scale.


“The WMSC has stripped Vodafone McLaren Mercedes of all constructor points in the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship and the team can score no points for the remainder of the season," the FIA said in a statement.


“Furthermore, the team will pay a fine equal to $100m, less the FOM income lost as a result of the points deduction.


“However, due to the exceptional circumstances in which the FIA gave the team’s drivers an immunity in return for providing evidence, there is no penalty in regard to drivers’ points."


McLaren will also have to present its 2008 car for examination by the FIA before the start of next season.


“The WMSC will receive a full technical report on the 2008 McLaren car and will take a decision at its December 2007 meeting as to what sanction, if any, will be imposed on the team for the 2008 season,” read the statement.


The FIA added that no McLaren representatives will be allowed on the podium should one of its drivers win any of the season's remaining races.


And it said the full reasons for the verdict will be issued tomorrow (Friday).

I would have loved to see the FIA do the same to TOY(ota), when they did the same thing some years back, at the time they were first getting into F1.
Just as they should have been kicked out of the WRC TOTALLY (driver AND manufacturer championships) when they got busted for hidden inlet restrictor bypass cheating in the late '90s.

They all cheat, some are just better at not getting caught....

i wonder how much money in R&D Mclaren will save from using that Ferrari data for the 08 season.

i think thats awesome, but the drivers should have lost points too, because they were driving mclaren cars. they should have atleast lost enough points to bring the drivers even with the ferrari drivers.

The drivers did not lose points, because they were granted amnesty for testifing against McLaren.

so will they no longer be "working" for mclaren next year because they turned tail on them?

My guess is that Mr. Dennis instructed them to "turn tail" (and stay in the driver's championship) so that McLaren would not lose EVERYTHING, and at least save some face with 2 drivers on the podium at the year's end. One being champion. This is just a wild guess though?

^ Well that does make sense, theres no reason to have them lie then lose everything. Imagine if they would have lied, Mclaren would have lose $100M, been disqualified from the constructor championship, and for lying maybe even stripped of the drivers points. Like this ok they wont win the contructors shampionship, but they will atleast get one of their drivers on top of F1. It would have been worse if they lost everything.
-Joel