Mosley: McLaren penalty not lenient

Speaking after today's World Motor Sport Council meeting, Mosley said that McLaren's attitude to proceedings had impressed him and that there was no need to punish the team further, especially as former sporting director Dave Ryan has now parted company with the team.

"I don't think so," he said when asked by the BBC if McLaren had got off lightly. "In the end there were decisions taken by the people who are no longer involved. That being the case, it would have been unfair to go on with the matter.

"We think it's entirely fair. They've demonstrated there's a complete culture change and under those circumstances it's better to put the whole thing behind us.

"Unless they do something similar, that's the end of the matter."

Mosley added that he was impressed with the attitude of team principal Martin Whitmarsh and the way he has conducted himself since the controversy.

"Martin Whitmarsh made a very good impression," said Mosley. "He's straightforward and wants to work with us. We're all trying to do the same thing, which is make the championship successful. Martin fully understands that and we reacted accordingly.

Bernie Ecclestone said that he was happy with the hearing, although he did suspect the punishment was lenient.

"Probably, yes," he said when asked if McLaren had got off lightly.

"It was fair, honest and straightforward. I thought Martin [Whitmarsh] was happy with that. He knew they did something wrong so they got a slap."

comments

Mosley: McLaren penalty not lenient

FIA president Max Mosley doesn't consider McLaren's suspended three-race ban to be a lenient punishment for the team misleading the stewards at the Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix