KEY POINTS:
Lewis Hamilton must wait until a month before the start of the Formula One season to hear whether McLaren will be penalised further next year for having confidential Ferrari information.
The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said yesterday it had deferred to February 14 a ruling on whether McLaren's 2008 car was untainted by this year's spying controversy.
If something incriminating is found, despite McLaren's assurances that they have nothing that can be traced to their Italian rivals, the team could start the season with a points penalty.
That will be a blow to Hamilton, the 22-year-old British rookie, who finished runner-up this year to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen by one point.
The FIA said McLaren, champions Ferrari and other teams would be invited to discuss the matter at a meeting of its World Motor Sport Council in Paris. The season starts a month later in Australia.
McLaren were fined US$100 million ($130 million) and stripped of all their 2007 constructors' points in September after chief designer Mike Coughlan was found to have a dossier of Ferrari information at his home.
Incriminating emails also emerged, including some from now-departed double world champion Fernando Alonso, suggesting the Ferrari data went deeper into the team than had been thought.
McLaren were told in September that there would be an inspection of their 2008 car to ensure it was free of any Ferrari intellectual property. That decision was due to have been made on Friday.
"This investigation has been concluded and a detailed report submitted to the WMSC," the FIA said. "The WMSC considers that McLaren, Ferrari and the other competitors in the FIA Formula One world championship should be afforded the opportunity to make considered representations on the report..."
- Reuters
