McLaren propose freeze to halt spy secrets

(GMM) McLaren has proposed to freeze development of certain aspects of its 2008 car, after acknowledging that Ferrari secrets penetrated more deeply into the British team than was previously thought.

With the FIA still to rule on the legality of the MP4-23 following the 'Stepneygate' scandal, a McLaren statement on Thursday revealed that the governing body's recent investigation did indeed uncover that "Ferrari information was more widely disseminated … than was previously communicated".

"McLaren greatly regrets that its own investigations did not identify this material and has written to the World Motor Sport Council to apologize for this," the team said.

The letter, to FIA president Max Mosley, acknowledged that the Ferrari secrets spread within McLaren further than its chief designer and drivers Pedro de la Rosa and Fernando Alonso, contrary to the team's argument at the September hearing.

The World Motor Sport Council is due to meet again on 14 February, where further sanctions could be added to McLaren's $100m fine and 2007 constructors' championship exclusion.

In a bid to avoid additional penalties, the team has offered to "impose a moratorium on development" of three separate systems that may have been infected by the Ferrari secrets.

The letter to FIA president Max Mosley seeks discussions "as to a moratorium of an appropriate length" on the use of "quickshift, fast fill and CO2 as a tire gas".