After an extraordinary meeting of the World Motorsports Council in Paris today, the FIA has decided not to impose any penalty or sanction on the McLaren-Mercedes team despite fully accepting that the team was in breach of article 151c of the sporting code, on which it was answering charges. The hearing took place to establish how confidential Ferrari documentation, which ran to 780 pages, ended up in the hands of McLaren Chief Designer Mike Coughlan. These secrets were reportedly leaked by the now former Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney.

Despite accepting that there was a breach of the rules the WMSC concluded that there was insufficient evident that McLaren-Mercedes had benefited from the information. At the end of the meeting this afternoon, which was attended by a cast including Jean Todt (Ferrari), Ron Dennis (McLaren), FIA President Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone, the 25 member World Motorsports Council issued the following statement: "The WMSC is satisfied that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes was in possession of confidential Ferrari information and is therefore in breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code. However, there is insufficient evidence that this information was used in such a way as to interfere improperly with the FIA Formula One World Championship. We therefore impose no penalty.

"But if it is found in the future that the Ferrari information has been used to the detriment of the championship," the FIA statement continued, "we reserve the right to invite Vodafone McLaren Mercedes back in front of the WMSC where it will face the possibility of exclusion from not only the 2007 championship but also the 2008 championship.
 

Further action though is now expected to be taken by the FIA against the two men who have been at the centre of this sensational 'espionage' case, former Ferrari engineering employee, Nigel Stepney, and the now-suspended McLaren Chief Designer, Mike Coughlan. "The WMSC will also invite Mr Stepney and Mr Coughlan to show reason why they should not be banned from international motor sport for a lengthy period and the WMSC has delegated authority to deal with this matter to the legal department of the FIA," added the FIA statement. Ferrari are pursuing legal action against both men with cases currently on going in Italy and at the high court in London.

With no penalty involving possible loss of points being applied, despite the WMSC concluding that McLaren-Mercedes were in possession of stolen documentation, the F1 World Championship positions remain unchanged, with seven of the calendar's seventeen races still remaining to be run. Lewis Hamilton leads the drivers' series with 70 points ahead of his team mate Fernando Alonso who has 68 points. Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa (59 points) and Kimi Raikkonen (52 points) are third and fourth. In the constructors' series McLaren has 138 points to Ferrari's 111.