McLaren respond to appeal decision

McLaren have admitted they are disappointed that the World Motor Sport Council’s recent decision not to sanction the team for having access to confidential Ferrari data, is to be referred to the FIA's Court of Appeal.

The Council agreed at a hearing last week that, while McLaren had been in possession of documents belonging to rivals Ferrari, there was not enough evidence to prove that the team had made use of the material to punish them. Following a plea from the Italian Automobile Club and Italian Motor Sport Commission (ACI-CSAI) on Ferrari’s behalf, however, FIA President Max Mosley has now referred the case to the Court of Appeal.

“Having considered in great detail the full submissions of both Ferrari and McLaren, the World Motorsport Council determined that there was no evidence that any information, passed by a Ferrari team member to a McLaren employee, had been brought into the organisation or provided any benefit whatsoever to the McLaren programme,” read McLaren’s press release on Tuesday.

“McLaren is not aware of any new information or arguments that have arisen since the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council and therefore assumes that these same materials will now be considered by the FIA International Court of Appeal. Whilst this is both disappointing and time-consuming, McLaren is confident that the FIA International Court of Appeal will also exonerate McLaren and we will in the meanwhile continue to focus on our current world championship programme.”

taken from formula1.com