McLaren face judgment on MP4-23

McLaren are confident that the MP4-23 will be cleared for next season as it does not contain any intellectual property belonging to Ferrari.

The Woking-based outfit face an FIA World Motor Sport Council hearing on Friday, which forms part of their punishment for spying on their rivals.

If the governing body finds any Ferrari technical data on McLaren's 2008 challenger, the team will be barred from entering the Championship.

However, the team's CEO Martin Whitmarsh is confident that they will be cleared. He told Autosport: "I know the 2008 car doesn't have any foreign intellectual property in it, and therefore I think we've got to let the WMSC and FIA finish its investigations.

"I think we'll come out of this very shortly and will be able to put all of this behind us. And that's good for the sport. It's the right and appropriate outcome and we'll move on."

Max Mosley claims that McLaren have co-operated with the FIA, and is optimistic that the team have not incorporated data from the Scuderia.

"I hope it will turn out there's absolutely nothing," said the FIA president.

"If we want a level playing field, we've got to make sure, as far as we're able, that the 2008 McLaren doesn't incorporate any Ferrari intellectual property that's been illegitimately required.

"Some things they can legitimately observe in the pit-lane or whatever, but we're only interested in the illegitimate.

"The only way we could ascertain that was to have a major inquiry, which we've had, and to the best of my knowledge McLaren have fully co-operated.

"It meant getting forensic experts in there, looking at all their computers and interviewing relevant engineers."

McLaren boss Ron Dennis stated at the time of the Paris hearing earlier this year that his team would be cleared to race for 2008 with no penalty. Planet F1

Social Media Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com