McLaren got off lightly with a record $100 million fine and the loss of their 2007 constructors' points for spying on Ferrari, FIA president Max Mosley said.
"It is a very modest penalty indeed," the International Automobile Federation head told reporters at the Belgian Grand Prix. "They are extremely lucky that we didn't quite simply say:You have polluted the championship in 2007, you have probably polluted it in 2008...so you had better stay out of the championship until 2009 if you are still around. When history looks back at this, maybe that is what we arereproached with: Not with doing too much but with maybe doing too little." Mosley said the effect of the fine would be merely to bring McLaren's budget down to the same level as some of the other top teams in the paddock.
"It is absurd to say it is unfair or disproportionate," he declared. Mosley said half of the money would be distributed to the other teams while the FIA planned to use the rest to create a fund to help bring on young drivers worldwide.
Formula One's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone told BBC radio that Mercedes-powered McLaren, who had been leading Ferrari in the championship, had narrowly escaped a two-year exclusion at an FIA hearing in Paris on Thursday.
"It really was a genuine possibility," he said. "A few of us sort of battled on and campaigned for the fine instead."
"It is a very modest penalty indeed," the International Automobile Federation head told reporters at the Belgian Grand Prix. "They are extremely lucky that we didn't quite simply say:You have polluted the championship in 2007, you have probably polluted it in 2008...so you had better stay out of the championship until 2009 if you are still around. When history looks back at this, maybe that is what we arereproached with: Not with doing too much but with maybe doing too little." Mosley said the effect of the fine would be merely to bring McLaren's budget down to the same level as some of the other top teams in the paddock.
"It is absurd to say it is unfair or disproportionate," he declared. Mosley said half of the money would be distributed to the other teams while the FIA planned to use the rest to create a fund to help bring on young drivers worldwide.
Formula One's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone told BBC radio that Mercedes-powered McLaren, who had been leading Ferrari in the championship, had narrowly escaped a two-year exclusion at an FIA hearing in Paris on Thursday.
"It really was a genuine possibility," he said. "A few of us sort of battled on and campaigned for the fine instead."