F1 'Spygate' cloud still looms over Renault

Renault could still face a future penalty if new evidence emerges to suggest that they have gained an advantage from McLaren technical information in their possession, Formula One's governing body said yesterday.

The former world champions were found guilty of a breach of the rules but went unpunished at a hearing in Monaco on Thursday after the FIA's World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) decided there was not enough evidence to show the championship had been affected.

The International Automobile Federation published an explanation of that decision on Friday. "Although a number of very unsatisfactory elements were noted during the deliberations... the WMSC concluded that there was insufficient evidence to establish that the information was used in such a way as to interfere with or to have an impact on the championship," it said.

"It should be noted that in the event of new information coming to light which calls into question the WMSC's conclusions, this matter may be re-opened by the FIA," the statement added.

The spying controversy was the second to hit Formula One this year. In the other, McLaren were fined £50?million and stripped of all their constructors' points in September for having Ferrari information in their possession.

The essential difference between the McLaren and Renault cases seems to be that there is no evidence that Renault used the information, while incriminating emails emerged from McLaren suggesting that Ferrari data was being used by the British team.

Another decision from the WMSC means that McLaren may still be penalised further next year for having confidential Ferrari information. The council have deferred until Feb 14 a ruling on whether McLaren's 2008 car was untainted by this year's spying controversy.

Independent inspectors have visited McLaren's HQ to look at the designs for next year's car. If something incriminating is found, the team could start the season with a points penalty.

"We had hoped that the McLaren investigation would be an end of the matter," FIA president Max Mosley said. "As you will have gathered, it wasn't. We received a report which makes it necessary to have another hearing."

Asked whether he feared something might have been overlooked in earlier searches, he added: "It is a matter on which you could speculate. But we wouldn't go through all this again and bring people from all over the world unless there was good reason to do so."