(from autosport) FIA president Max Mosley has warned that any Formula One team caught spying in the future will likely be thrown out of the championship. Last year, McLaren were fined $100 million and stripped of all their constructors' championship points for having Ferrari data leaked by former mechanical Nigel Stepney to McLaren's chief designer Mike Coughlan. But Mosley believes that if something similar happens in the future, the team involved are likely to be thrown out altogether. "You can never stop what someone has got in his head, but we can stop the transfer of information in written or electronic form," Mosley said in an interview with the official Formula One website. "And if you are prepared to check - and we have demonstrated that we are - then somebody using such information would be very unwise because in a modern F1 team you cannot do it without leaving traces, and we will find those traces. "Next time, whoever it was, I don't think they would stay in the championship. In the case of McLaren everybody said 'oh, a hundred million dollars', but the alternative would have been to exclude them - and that would have been more expensive!" The FIA head admitted he is pleased with the way the governing body handled the spying scandal. "I would say that we did it the right way at each stage," he added. "When we had the first hearing on the 26th of July we were all very suspicious. "We did not really believe that the only person involved was Mike Coughlan, but we had to find clear evidence and there was not sufficient evidence to convict them. "Then when we had the second hearing there was enough evidence, and although we were greatly attacked in the English press I think that any objective person would say that there was quite enough. "Then when we conducted the detailed inquiry and looked at all the emails and everything then the evidence became absolutely clear and overwhelming. But the people who didn't want to believe it still don't believe it." And Mosley is also hopeful of a scandal-free 2008. "I hope so. But it is not in my hands."
"The FIA head admitted he is pleased with the way the governing body handled the spying scandal"... Well god help us when he cock's up then if he thinks he handled it that well.
I think they probably would. One of the worrying things, though, is the lack of clarity. Mosley says, "Next time, whoever it was, I don't *think* they would stay in the championship." That's too vague. The rules should be very clear and should say that if a team does 'x' the penalty will be 'y'. Only in exceptional circumstances should the prescribed penalty not be applied (and if the offending team is Ferrari that doesn't count as exceptional circumstances! ).
ermm will shall see, I would predict a Renault type fine guilty so dont do it again! which came to light after the Mc spying!!. So much for consistancy he is back peddling now trying to justify his cock up.
A large fine similar to McLaren probably, Mad Max knows F1 would collapse if Ferrari left even for one year.
What do you find confusing about Max's statement? It's like my up bringing, if you f'up you pay the consequence's, and the consequence's are "it's appear you did not understand I will tolerate NO BS and you KNEW the moment when you broke the rule's"! How much clearer does it need to be, oh sorry this is the "dont spank your children' generation. God I miss the no BS run what you brung or go home day's of F1!
The rules need to be clear. But then Mosly and Burnee couldn't have the fun of jacking everyone around. Then the thought of someone planting information with an opposing team and then claiming it was stolen. The ramifications are endless. Life in the fast lane.
I think the definition of spying will depend on the "Guilty" team. Thus Ferrari will never be guilty. Relax. Perhaps a dunking chair will appear at the FIA HQ for the rest of the heathens.
What I find confusing is that this same moron let Renault get off scot-free for the exact same cheating activities that cost McLaren $100 million. It is difficult...no, impossible...to believe a single word that comes out of Mosley's mouth. The only thing that is indisputable is that the FIA will simply make up rules as it goes along. It is not a question of clarity, it is a question of consistency.
