McLaren stripped and fined
2007-09-13 19:55
Paris - The McLaren team were fined $100 million and stripped of all of their points in the constructors' standings on Thursday in the spy scandal that has rocked the sport, governing body FIA said.
Team drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, who are currently 1-2 in the championship standings, were not punished.
McLaren will also be excluded from next year's constructors' championship, FIA said in a statement after a hearing.
McLaren, who leads the current drivers' and constructors' standings, were punished by the World Motor Sports Council for allegedly using leaked secret technical documents belonging to F1 rival Ferrari.
The team can appeal.
Rookie English driver Hamilton leads the standings with 92 points, followed by two-time F1 champion Alonso of Spain with 89. Ferrari teammates Kimi Raikkonen (74) and Felipe Massa (69) are third and fourth. Four races remain in the season, starting with Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.
Hamilton and Alonso finished 1-2 in Sunday's Italian Grand Prix - at Ferrari's home track of Monza - to extend McLaren's lead in the constructors' championship to 23 points. McLaren has 166, Ferrari 143.