Am I the only one thinking that Mr Ecclestone might have engineered all this to promote interest in such a turgid sport now that Michael Schumacher has retired? (He probably couldn't have imagined a rookie challenging for the championship).

eddie robinson, davis, yolo, ca

So the FIA have ensured that their darling Ferrari win the constructors championship - who cares? Lewis and Alonso will still beat them convincingly in the one that really matters - the drivers championship! Let's hope there will be no more meddling with a fantastic champioship battle from now until the end of the season.

John Oakley, Vienna, Austria

The information was passed to McLaren by a Ferrari representative, Nigel Stepney, who did so because of alleged 'cheating' by Ferrari. So, if McLaren 'cheated' - even if they didn't actually employ any of Ferrari's design ideas - how many points will Ferrari now be docked and how much will they be fined? I hope sincerely that McLaren will appeal and would ask them to consider the setting up of a rival formula that might attract other constructors keen to escape the clutches of the FIA and the somewhat Ferraricentric WMSC.

Barry Lane, Eastbourne, East Sussex

If the FIA and WSMC intend to wreck Formula One and turn TV viewers away in disgust they are certainly going about it the right way. This hearing was nothing short of a kangaroo court meting out punishment despite the fact that there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever that McClaren used or benefited from any of the information.
The fine - even if money lost from income that might have been derived from winning the constructors' championship - is ludicrously beyond the pale. Clearly the FIA and WSMC - who seem to favour Ferrari at every instance and have now 'given' them the constructor's championship (with all the income that comes with it) - saw this as a golden opportunity to line their own pockets. They are a disgrace to the sport.
If McClaren and any other teams now were to break away from Formula One and form their own competiton, no-one could blame them.
I sincerely hope McClaren do appeal this appalling decision - in the world's highest courts if necessary.

Sam Hall , Dorking , Surrey

I believe that we are facing one of the biggest scandals in modern sporting history. In 2006 Juventus was accused of "illegally influencing" the outcome of matches. The only evidence were a myriad of phone calls made to complain about negative behaviours happened during the matches. Despite this total lack of evidence Juventus was severely punished: demoted to second division, loss of two first division titles (both for the team and the players) and minus 17 points for the second division tournament. This punishement was based on mere suspects. In the MacLaren-Ferrari case the situation is rather different. The evidence was found materially and was proved under many circumstances and everyone knew. If this sentence remains untouched the world of sports will be further damaged and there will be more and more cheaters appearing in as many disciplines as possible, since this sentence legalises cheating. It is not anymore a problem of cycling and athletics now. It's the end of sports!!

Sebastian, Milan, Italy

Until the Evidence that the verdict and action was based on, I don't think anyone can comment. Having sat through a court case before, where the defendant was on trial for death by dangerous driving, even with the judge guiding the jury to say that the evidence was not conclusive, the defendent was found guilty. This can only have come from the personal emotive feelings of the jury by the language used by the prosecution, the cold facts did not prove anything. In a case such as this, with the politics involved it is not unreasonable to believe that the verdict does not correspond with the evidence. However until it is all released it will not be known.

Maverick, Reading, UK

i think the kettle calling the pot black,if it was a Mclaren member who stole the dossier then it was fair to punish Mclaren. i thinks it stinks.

ernie, leicester, england

Fines are necessary so that we all stick to the same rules. It migth be hard to admit it for you Brits (we are all humans), but if MaccLaren has cheated and it is quite clear so, then MaccLaren has just to swallow it and keep on working hard as they know!

Carlos, Bilbao, Spain

If Lewis really IS driving a 'McFerrari' as Mr Mosley has found, ( and id Jean Todt says it's true, then who can doubt it . . ) then Ron and the team just need to get on and spend the rest of the season beating the red cars hollow and showing M. Todt what happens when his cars are built, operated and driven PROPERLY . . . .

Tokenpom, Bundaberg, QLD, Australia

I think that all is gone as it would be gone. FIA has detected that Mclaren is guilty, and I don't believe that FIA is hold only by Ferrari. FIA in it's previous sentence it's been illogical!
They can't say that Mclaren wasn't guilty because there aren't the evidence that they used the Ferrari's documents!
It like to say that a thief that steal something cant't be sentenced until you prove that it has used what he has stolen!

Fabio B., Varese, Italy

The epitome of justice would have been to have Alonso/Hamilton swap cars with Massa/Räikönnen for the rest of the season, so the poor Ferrari boys could have enjoyed their team’s engineers’ achievement to the full.

KD Baetz, Coburg, Germany

This is a typical half-baked compromise. Either McLaren ARE guilty in which case ALL benefits gained should be removed - and that does, unfortunately, include the drivers points, or, they are NOT guilty in which case this judgement is a total travesty.

Just as a slightly lighter thought, if Ferrari´s secrets were so good then how come they are so far behind McLaren in the constructors´championship?

David, Alicante, Spain

The sport cannot survive without McClaren Mercedes, so Mr. Dennis should play the trump card and intimate the team is moving to another venue. The whole affair is a complicated melange of bureacracy, ruled by bureaucrats who are just bit players and side line actors in a spectacle that is well above anything anyone of them could ever even imagine participating in directly.

John Cornish, Ecton, UK

I read in another thread, prior to the FIA decision to fine McLaren and dock off their constructor points, that Alonso had 'spilled the beans' by submitting his email exchanges with Pedro de la Rosa.
Please remember who spilled the beans in Monaco, prompting an inspection immediately afterwards, and whose daddy went to the F1 uthorities in Hungary, prompting the five-place penalty against Alonso.
In the same thread, someone from Brazil commented on the fact that McLaren were in third or fourth place last year and this year suddenly they're up t the top.
They happen to hve the best car developer working and racing for them. Havin Michael Schumacher or Fernando Alonso on your tema makes a huge difference in terms of development and race speed.

Michel Angstadt, Serranillos del Valle, (Madrid) Spain

To put it bluntly, Alonso and Hamilton should also be penalised. Why? Because McLaren have been proven to have lied, and they have clearly used Ferrari intellectual property. Formula One is so close and competitive, with margins often of less than 1% dictating the difference between victory and defeat, that Ferrari have been at a disadvantage to their rivals from the beginning.

How can the drivers NOT be penalised? This astounds me! They have a quicker car by having cheated, with Felippe and Kimi behind the 8 ball before they even start. How on earth can you expect Ferrari and their drivers to compete on a level playing field, when the competition know everything there is to know about the Ferrari, and can obviously take whatever superior elements they wish from it?

The only fair thing to do is to disqualify the McLaren drivers as well, as they have clearly had an unfair advantage over not just Ferrari, but the entire field.

Roberto Maietta, London,

Let` s hope Alonso will receive equal treatment as Hamiltor for the last four remaining races. I used to love Formula 1

Bruno Cipolli, London, UK

So fairness has prevailed, even though you have not seen the evidence the FIA based their decision on. My guess - another posting from a Ferrari supporter.

David, Manama, Bahrain

A shame that Ferrari were not equally penalised for their determined attempts to bring the sport into disrepute. Let's not forget that it was a Ferrari employee who instigated this whole pathetic saga.

Alphonso Grenardi, Gloucester, UK

The use of the term "sport" needs to be reviewed. So-called sport is BIG business and industrial espionage, sabotage and drug abuse is par for the course. If you want real sport, watch amateurs and youth sports where money isn't involved. Yet!

Roger Bingham, Lauzun, France

Sunny, you're obviously a Ferrari fan and your view is contaminated by that. Roll on Lewis, its yours for the taking..!

Stewart, Shanghai, China

alls fair in love and war. This is just hard cheese from Ferrari as this 'behaviour' seems to have been going on around teams as long as personnel have been moving among differing teams

Andrew Walworth, Hemel Hempstead, UK

Being myself Italian i am often accused to be a cheater or be part of a corrupted society.This is a lesson for all those people.
Hopefully from now on the thoughts will change along with the narrow mentality that many people have.

Alberto , Sydney,

I think Alonso should be banned by the constructors. A dog that bites the owner !

Paulo Pereira, Famalicao, Portugal

Ian, Solihull - my thoughts exactly!

Cath, Luxembourg,

What a balanced view, really great journalism again. Is this comment suitable for publication in your blog? Oh wait, and McLaren, they didn't spy or cheat, it's all Ferrari fault. Would this be enough?

Name Withheld, London,

Sunny
- how on earth do you come to the conclusion that they 'were contaminated with the secret information' when the man at the centre of the dossier clearly says McLaren did not benefit from it? Why does Ferrari not get punished for illegally supplying the secret information?

It's been very clear who's been superior on the track this season-I don't dispute that such an action must be punished-former formula 1 owners/drivers/engineers have come out to say that indeed this is nothing new in the sport-info gets passed around but to exonerate a team then turn around and slap an outrageously massive fine like that is plain fishy. Mclaren should and I believe will appeal.

Who's supposed to bag all that money anyway?

Don A, Manchester, UK

In my opinion, there are only two possibilities:

1) MacLaren has directly stolen or used stolen information to get an illegal advantage over Ferrari: if so the team has to be banned from F1 championship for at least two or three years, including the current one: the drivers needs to be penalized as well, even in a milder way, because they get an unjust advantage over competitors.

2) Mac Laren refused the illegal information from the unfaithful Ferrari employee, obviously there is no penalty for the team.

If nr 1 is correct, this sentence leave us with a spoiled drivers' championship; if the right reconstruction is nr 2, MacLaren suffered from a terribly wrong decision.

Either way the FIA decision leaves me and, I suppose, many other F1 fans deeply unsatisfied.

Riccardo Bianchini, Cremona, Italy

Ron is missing a trick here - pull out of the rest of the season and the FIA and Bernie have no TV viewers, F1 needs Hamilton racing for the rest of the season to keep the gravy train running. No Hamilton and Alonso, no racing, no interest.
A hollow victory for Ferrari if they are remembered for messing up the only season in recent years worth watching. Lets face it it`s been pretty lack lustre until this year and now it`s all fallen apart. Well done the bureaucrates - have they not learn`t from World Rallying - the cheating team pulled out soon to be followed by others, now it`s a shadow of what it was with only a few manufacturers racing a few privateers.

Ron, Perth, uk

It's difficult to draw a line and decide if the drivers knew about it or not. Of course they had some advantage but maybe the drivers were not aware of the leaking information. I like Kimi more, but I wouldn't throw the stone towards McLaren drivers.

Mik, munich,

That's the end of McLaren. Not for drivers.
We can't forget (FIA said) the secret information from Ferrari was received by the team. Drivers know this info because the team gave it to them.
In this case, the only thing drivers can do is to run, run, run...
In my opinion, McLaren has not interest in the rest of the championship (but Hamilton as new britton champion).
It's a lost opportunity to reach the top by McLaren and ALONSO needs to find a new serious team to run.
Hamilton, obviously, will continue with McLaren because its support has no limit for him. He's a McLaren's boy.
Perhaps, ALONSO will be in FERRARI next year. We'll see.

J. F. Dorda, Sydney, Australia

Kick McLaren out or don't. The FIA, aka Eccleston's minions, have decided to have their cake and eat it. Quite apart from that, Ferarri are hardly squeaky clean. And, if the technical information was so great, why aren't Ferarri as consistant as McLaren in performances.

Alexis, Stourbridge, UK

As an Italian you would expect that I am satisfied with the verdict, but I'm not. A 100 M USD fine is too much, I guess that MacLaren will appeal and they will reduce the fine. But on the other hand if you ask "did they really made use of the stolen secrets", then the answer is "Yes , definitely, its evident " . I really could not believe such a behaviour from an english team! Where is the british fairness left ? Where are the gentlemen ? I'm so disappointed from Ron Dennis, he was the remaining fortress after the germans subtle take over, but he also lost his face now. I hope for the english fans that Lewis will make them forget this black chapter in MacLaren's race history, and last but not least, I already welcome Alonso as the new F1 champion to Ferrari next season ... sorry guys but thats life ...

Salvatore, Modena, Italy

Oh what a sad day for F1 from someone who used to work in FI when was still a sport and not contaminated by such big pots of gold. It reeks of sour grapes from Ferrari and Bernie Ecclestone himself has said in the past - take any team out of F1 and F1 would survive, but take Ferrari out ...... need I say more.
F1 get your act together because this is no longer 'sport' If McLaren had gained that much advantage, how come Ferrari are still a challenge?? May this is the problem??But I doubt if common sense even comes into the equation any more.

And yes as Steven from Prague says - where does all that money go, lets have some transparency from the FIA.

SD, Cobham, Surrey

The FIA is, as ever, a policital joke, this penalty is so flawed it cannot be believed.

If Mclaren are guilty chuck'em out, all points, drivers and for the rest of the season. If the cars are legal for the drivers they must be legal for the constructors.

Really can anyone actually trust the FIA to tell the correct time?

Steve, Brighton,

If McLaren are guilty then the drivers should be thrown out of the WDC as well - I am staggered that they have allowed the drivers to keep their points.................
The WDC will be tainted if either McLaren driver wins it

Simon, London,

The FIA have ruined their reputation. This is a great season for Formula One and this has just ruined it.

McClaren do not deserve such a colossal fine.

Ferrari are like the pupil at school who used to grass you up to teacher...

Rick, London, England

The only explanation for the decision to punish the team, and the team only, is that Alonso, De La Rosa and Hamilton have provided the evidence against McLaren the FIA had asked for, in exchange of immunity. If this is the case, however, the punishment for McLaren could have been much harder, as if insiders admit wrongdoing there is little doubt that the team is guilty.

I agree with Sunny Athens that the FIA has not gone far wnough and that the decision is unfair and damaging for the sport: if the McLaren as a team has taken advantage from the knowledge of Ferrari's technical information (and there is no doubt it has, since it's been punished now while it was not penalised last time, when this had not been proven), so must have the drivers who race in McLaren cars. They should have been penalised too.

Andrea Cicione, London,

Unbelievable! Would McLaren have been fined if they had retained employment of Nigel Stepney? I very much doubt it. As an engineer familiar with some of the inner workings of F1, engineers swapping jobs between teams is common. Of course knowledge transfers as well. I’m impressed with the degree that McLaren have gone too to prove that they are the unfortunate consequence of two immoral engineers in the business. I very much doubt any information made it’s way onto the McLaren cars. Tit bits of information exchanged between engineers and racing drivers does not constitute anything in reality in terms of real performance gain for their cars. I consider the action of Ferrari in favoring one driver to the extent of rigging a race (2002 Barrichello moving over for Schumacher on last lap) much much more damaging to the sport. What was Ferrari’s fine?

Please race fans, voice your anger at this decision; go watch IRL (in America) instead. Much more entertaining.

Dean, Michigan, USA

McLaren talking about fariness?? Alonso & McLaren were fined in Hungary, what would you say if McLaren benefits Hamilton from now to the end of the season. Should they be fined and handle the title to Alonso??

Luis, Madrid, Spain

In bicycle racing a runner who dopes himself is expelled for two or three years. In F1 a team which dopes itself with stolen secrets from another team is not expelled at all. That's unfair. In my view Ron Dannis shoud be banned for life from automobile racing and MacLaren for at least three years. And afterwards they should not be allowed to avail themselves of the secrets they have stolen from Ferrari.
That's my very strong opinion.

Frank Millich, Strasburg, France

Once again we see the pro-Ferrari stance of both the FIA and especially Max Mosley the FIA President. For years now we have seen the strangle hold the Scuderia have over this sport, how convenient that Ferrari will almost certainly go on to win the constructors championship. Having followed the sport for the last 20 years, I find myself wondering if this is really a sport or a promotional tool for Ferrari. To Mosley and Ecclestone, please get your house and sport in order.

David Burnett, Motherwell, North Lanarkshire

How ironic that a disenchanted ex-Ferrari employee has by default granted his Team the 2008 Constructors Championship and financially damaged their most serious competitor! Stepney must be livid.......................................................................................

David N, Aldershot, UK

The truth finally emerged? I think Sunny has been bent over his barbecue far too long and has started to cook his brain!! A great number of things are very unclear at this moment in time. The stand out one must surely be as follows. If and that is a very big if, McLaren have been running and still are running illegal cars, why are the teams drivers still being allowed to run the illegal cars for the next four GPs.

As far as I can see one decision makes a mockery of the other. Either that, or the FIA/Mosely have spent a lot of time with Sunny bent over his barbecue.

R. P. Dixon, London,

Sunny is right, the drivers should have had "some" points deducted about 10-20 to show some justice while at the same time keeping the championship alive.

Further I think you have mis-quoted Jackie Stewart, he was on the BBC news last night and was quering the consistancy of the penalty, why drivers points werent docked. he asks of constructors points being deducted, but not the drivers
"...if you are guilty, you are guilty whats the difference, its part of the same team"
doesnt sound to me like he's saying the penalty was too high.

Tim, Stratford upon avon, Uk

How is it possible to find McClaren guilty of using secret information from Ferrari to gain competitive advantage, yet allow the drivers (Hamilton and Alonso), who clearly would have benefited from such information, to keep their points? This does not make sense. It's like saying that a bank robber can keep the proceeds of a robbery in return for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the rest of the gang. Absurd!

Chris Duncan, Witham, Essex

Sunny, why 20 points? Why not 10? Wait... Lewis of Fernando would still beat Kimi/Felipe, even with 20 points penalty. Wouldn't it be better 25 points?

But wait some more... you know what would be fair? To wait until the end of the season, and deduct from each driver the number of points resulting from this formula:
- Points from top classified McLaren driver MINUS points from top classified Ferrari driver PLUS 1

Now, this would be fair, right?

Come on, this is a joke. As I see it, there are only two choices that are not as arbitrary as your 20 points proposal:
1- no points deducted at all, as they ruled
2- ALL points taken, as did to McLaren

Now, think about what would be most fair. I have my answer to that.

Jose, San Diego, CA, USA

What information had been leaked isfrom Ferrari Side. There is no evidence that McLaren has used that information in its car design.

So there is no issue Against McLaren.

Rather than taking McLaren to court, Ferrari should have cleaned up their own house and brought some order to it.

And World Motor Sports body..... who cares about them.... since they dont seem to care about the Sports.

Deepak, Bangalore, India

The truth has finaly come out alright - the FIA are obviously owned by Ferrari. I for one won't be buying one today.

Geoff, Derby, England

I agree! This is a foul compromise to keep the formula 1 running and make money as usual and no justice. The fine of $100.000.000 shows clearly, the there was evidence. But maybe the will be more trouble coming over McLaren. The Italian police is already investing against McLaren because of industrial spying. Of couse, this is pushed by Ferrari. But I thing its their goog right to to so.

Marco Rüdiger, Munich, Germany

The McLaren drivers have gained points as members of a team found guilty of cheating. If this is put another way, the drivers of other teams have been denied points because of McLaren's cheating. How can justice be served by not deducting points from those who, however innocently, have gained advantage in such circumstances?

Ronald E. Watts, Nicosia, Cyprus

Surely, the easiest way to resolve the question of who is the best constructor and has the best drivers, is to clear the constructors points from all teams, and effectively start the season again. the best team and drivers will then be able to show from a completely transparent field who are the best.sic Mclaren.

Mike McIlroy, Southend on Sea, Essex England

Sunny - A Ferrari fan by any chance???

The findings do suggest that McLaren drivers were aware of the dossier, but it has been accepted that none of the technical information was used in the design of the car. Do you really think that if it had been any other team than Ferrari it would have gone as far as it has - I really doubt it.

F1 (now referred to as Ferrari1) wouldn't be worth watching without McLaren to compete with Ferrari, imagine how dull the rest of this season would be and next season without them.

PS - What happens to the $100m?

Andy, Yarm, UK

Until the FIA tell us exactly what McLaren did there is no transparency to this. Another typical heavy handed response from an authority that does everything it possibly can for Ferrari. Any more repetitions of this sort of behaviour from the FIA will totally erode the value of F1.

Tony Geran, Sydney, Australia

I believe that the decision made by the FIA is baseless and inconsiderate of the fact that lies in front of them. The argument is that was any of the leaked information from ferrari was ever used or did it went beyond coughlan, i guess not, because all the employees including the top management of mclaren-mercedes team denied ever receiving such information. i think the FIA should investigate the car to prove if they benefitted. Obvioiusly the FIA governing body is favoring Ferrari. I think it is quite a fact that they are favoring them ever since. is it because the Ferrari is the more popular one? ive been following the circus since it began and i think from the point of view of some drivers, team owners and previous champion drivers, spying is so normal in the sense that engineers and designers are jumping from one team to another bringing with them information, data and experience to the other team. FIA please be fair!

Mark Abrazaldo, Gensan, Philippines

Mr. Gorman,
I am an italian Ferrari fan and I would like to comment the FIA decision as follows : I think that the rule nr.1 of ANY kind of sport (in a civil society) is to respect the rules. If anyone fails in this must be fined (according to the rules), see what happened, as example, to Juventus FC in our football premier league.
So, in our case, I consider right the FIA decision to exclude McLaren from 2007 F1 constructor championship.
But regarding the drivers : how can Hamilton/Alonso be considered 2007 World champions if they are driving a car which (today) FIA found guilty ? This is a clear non-sense to me. OK, they are making a fine job and risking their lives every GP, but in my opinion the drivers should be fined, too.
(I hope my English is clear enough....)
Best Regards

Alberto Salvaterra, Santhia', Italy

Who benefits from this huge fine?
Does it go into the pockets of the rich persons who inflicted it on Maclaren?
Why not give it to the teams who need it - the also-rans in the F1 championship?
Maclaren have done no wrong - the persons involved are only doing what comes naturally - looking after themselves! Ferrari are and have always been acting like spoilt children you can't play with my ball!

Graham, Camberley, UK

The biggest fine in sporting history, what are the FIA albeit the WMSC doing? This decision will do nothing other than dent the fragile fraternity that run this so called sport. Can it be proved that McLaren did use any of this so called information to gain advantage on the current chargers? If so dock points/races accordingly as the teams all have have a history of scrutinsing each other equipment to see what the other is doing to gain a fraction. OK documentation passed hands but was it used? I also doubt this is the first time, but this is the most public but the major players in the engineering departments all switch around teams and will carry information that is inherent. The FIA leanings towards Ferrari have a certain history and ex drivers who know a little more than the fan due to information access have already expressed views. The question is where will the massive fine monies end up? Max very nice nest..

Stephen, Prague,

What a sad day for F1

This proves that unless you are Ferrari, you are not allowed to win the championship. (Is the F in F1 for Ferrari?)

Ferrari always seem to complain to the FIA towards the end of the season when they are not winning.

What next - a claim that "Hamilton is on steroids"?

Ron Dennis tried to break the hold that the FIA and Ferrari have over everyone, and now look at how they have responded. Other teams have 'technical details' on competitors cars, and no one complains. But then, other teams are not beating Ferrari.

As for the $100 million fine - just big (Italian) boys throwing their teddy at the wall

I am disgusted by this and let's hope that Ron gets a breakaway movement going!

Tropical Roger, Koh Samui, Thailand

£50 million pound fine.

Which charity is the money going to - or is the FIA just aiming to line its pockets?

Ian, Solihull,

Though the current judjement against McLaren clearly shows the truth has finally emerged. However the judgement by the FIA does not go far enough. The McLaren drivers were contaminated with the secret information of Ferrari and these techniques only known to Ferrari were made use by the McLaren drivers which helped them to achieve the current standing at position 1 & 2. Fairness would have prevailed to deduct 20 points from each McLaren driver.

Sunny, Athens, Greece