McLaren apologise unreservedly to the FIA

In a letter sent to FIA president Max Mosley on December 5 and published on McLaren's website today, the team admitted that Ferrari information had been more widely 'disseminated' within the team than they previously thought.

And in light of an inspection of their 2008 car by FIA appointed officials throwing up the suggestions that the deployment of quickshift, fast fill, or the use of CO2 as a tyre gas could have come from the Ferrari information, McLaren have offered to hold back on developing these systems.

A statement issued on McLaren's website said: "To avoid even the possibility of Ferrari information influencing our performance during 2008, McLaren has offered a set of detailed undertakings to the FIA which will impose a moratorium on development in relation to three separate systems.

"During the course of these incidents, McLaren has conducted a thorough review of its policies and procedures regarding the recruitment and management of staff. The proposals arising from this thorough review have been disclosed to the FIA and McLaren has agreed to demonstrate that all of these policies and procedures have been fully implemented.

"McLaren wish to make a public apology to the FIA, Ferrari, the Formula One community and to Formula One fans throughout the world and offer their assurance that changes are now being made which will ensure that nothing comparable to what has taken place will ever happen again. McLaren have also agreed to pay the costs incurred by the FIA for their investigation.

"McLaren now wishes to put these matters behind it and to move forward focusing on the 2008 season."