Mosley aims to make cheaters regret their actions

An unrepentant FIA President Max Mosley believes that the Stepneygate crisis which threatened to derail the 2007 season – and which cost McLaren the Constructors' Championship – did not harm F1.

Taking the notion that 'all publicity is good publicity' to new, unexplored lengths, a defiant Mosley also reiterated that he is prepared to expel McLaren from the 2008 championship if it is found that the team have used Ferrari material to design their new charger.

"I don't think it [Spygate] has done any damage," Mosley told The Times. "In fact, it has raised the public awareness. That is the paradox. What is important is that people believe the spying has stopped and will continue to be stopped.

"If we want a level playing field, we have to be sure as far as we are able that the 2008 McLaren does not incorporate any Ferrari intellectual property that has been illegally acquired. I know that top teams are being super careful, revising their procedures and emphasizing to all their people that this sort of thing must not happen."

Mosley is reported to have authorized a "forensic examination" of McLaren's computers. Should any Ferrari material be discovered then the FIA could order the team to design a new car from scratch – a time-consuming and debilitating process that in itself would effectively rule them out of the championship. Alternatively, the Woking outfit could be thrown out of the championship.

With Renault also being called to account over new espionage charges, the newspaper warns that 'Ferrari could drive unchallenged to the Formula One World Championship next season if two of their main rivals are wiped from the grid by tough new court decisions.' Planet F1