Bernie Ecclestone has warned McLaren that it may be banned from one or more races as a punishment for lying to race stewards in Australia and Malaysia.
The Woking squad has been summoned to appear before the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council on April 29 to answer charges that it has brought Formula 1 into disrepute, after being found to have deliberately misled stewards about instructions given to Lewis Hamilton during the Australian Grand Prix.
The FIA has indicated that Hamilton himself, who delivered a humiliating public apology at Sepang last Friday, is unlikely to receive further direct punishment beyond his disqualification from the Melbourne race.
But Ecclestone believes the gravity of the offence McLaren is accused of – which he says amounts to fraud – is such that the team could be hit with a heavy sentence.
“We need to investigate closer what went on,” he told the Daily Express.
“It is about stealing a point and a place but those are worth money so basically it is fraud, although I am sure it started off more innocently without thought of the consequences.


“There are many options open if the charge sticks and it would be a terrible thing if any team were banned from races.
“But it could happen.”
McLaren was fined $100m by the World Council and excluded from the constructors’ world championship over the ‘spygate’ scandal in 2007, in which it was found to have possessed confidential information belonging to arch-rival Ferrari.
Ecclestone says the WMSC may not be inclined to be lenient to the team this time given recent history.
“It is not so long ago that McLaren were in front of the Council and it is never good for anyone if you are back in court quickly for something similar,” he said.
The FIA has banned teams found guilty of cheating before – notably in 2005 when BAR-Honda was barred from taking part in the Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix for using a secondary fuel tank which when drained brought its car below the minimum weight limit.

 

If points are worth money, why doesn't Ferrari just win every race by simply buying all the points? I mean, if Bernie is going to just hand them $80M every season just to keep them from leaving the series, why can't they just buy the points? Clearly the WMSC as well as Bernie and the FIA are smitten with Ferrari and are out to get McLaren. Sure, McLaren may have been in the wrong here but the only difference between McLaren and any of the other teams is that McLaren is the only team under so much scrutiny that it was inevitable that they would get caught. I'm not saying lying to, or misleading, the stewards was right but as Dana has said, "if you aren't cheating, you aren't trying."

I'm sick of watching one of F1's premier teams getting dragged through the mud with any chance Bernie can get.

 

I think you misunderstood Bernie does not want further action against McLaren but the choice isn't his .... I certainly don't want action against McLaren but they brought it on themselves. I also think teams should push the envelope but not cheat and if you get caught you should face the consequences

 

i think what he is saying, is point = money because the more you win the more money sponsors are willing to give.

 

I think McLaren needs to attend a course on ethics...or learn how to cheat better! Did I say that out load?

 

Yeah, I understand. It was meant more as sarcasm.

 

wow the saga continues, it would be interesting to get a transcript of what is said on the 29th.

 

As much as I love Ferrari, and despise McLaren.

This is NOWHERE near as bad as the spying.

Fine them, deduct the point, and move on. Maybe take away their constructors' points. But don't start banning them from races. That's just wrong.