McLaren confident they will be cleared

The ruling, which was expected today following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Monaco, has been deferred to February 14.

The FIA said McLaren and Ferrari would be invited to discuss the matter at the next World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris.

McLaren said they are still confident no evidence of having used Ferrari's data will be found.

"McLaren acknowledges the World Motor Sport Council's announcement to defer its decision regarding the team's 2008 car to an extraordinary general meeting to be held on Thursday 14th February 2008 in Paris," the team said in a statement.

"From the very beginning McLaren has provided the FIA with full access and complete co-operation, and remains confident no confidential information has been incorporated within the team's 2007 and 2008 cars."

FIA president Max Mosley told reporters in Monaco, however, that doubt remained.

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

Asked whether he feared something might have been overlooked in earlier searches at McLaren, he added: "It is a matter on which you could speculate.

"But we wouldn't have another hearing, and go through all this again and bring people from all over the world unless there was good reason to do so."