Formula One:The appeal against the decision not to punish McLaren for the Formula One spying controversy will be held in Paris next month, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) have said.
Last month, the FIA's World Motor Sport Council decided not to
impose a penalty on the championship leaders because of
insufficient evidence they had benefited from Ferrari data obtained
by suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan.
McLaren, who could be kicked out of the championship, said
they did not know Coughlan had 780 pages of Ferrari information at
his home.
The Italian team were incensed by the verdict and FIA
President Max Mosley sent the decision to appeal.
"The International Court of Appeal (ICA) will meet in Paris
on Thursday September 13th, 2007 to hear a referral by the
President of the FIA concerning a decision of the World Motor Sport
Council regarding a breach by the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team of
Article 151(c) of the International Sporting Code," an FIA
statement read.
"All of the teams competing in the 2007 FIA Formula One World
Championship have been given the opportunity to make written
submissions to the ICA and have been invited to attend the hearing
to supplement their submissions with oral presentations."
The hearing, which had been expected to happen in late
August, will now take place with just four races remaining in the
season.
Formula One champions Renault said last week that they would
attend the appeal because the affair was damaging the sport's image
and the outcome was important to everybody.
McLaren, who lead Ferrari by 19 points in the championship,
were also at the centre of controversy at last weekend's Hungarian
Grand Prix when their two drivers fell out during qualifying.
Championship leader Lewis Hamilton won the race but only
after world champion Fernando Alonso was demoted fives places from
pole for blocking his team mate in the pit lane and stopping him
from recording a faster lap late in the session.
Stewards also ruled McLaren were not allowed to score
constructors' points despite Hamilton's win.