Mosely sounds grim warning

Any Formula One team caught in espionage or spying could be expelled from the competition. FIA president Max Mosely said Tuesday he hoped for a scandal-free F1 season this year, but warned teams that punishment for spying would be harsh.

McLaren were fined a record $100 million and kicked out of the manufacturers’ championship last year after being accused of using leaked information from rivals Ferrari. But drivers Lewis Hamilton, who finished second overall, and Fernando Alonso were allowed to continue in the drivers’ championship.

“Next time, whoever it was, I don’t think they would stay in the championship,” Mosely told Formula One’s official website. “In the case of McLaren everybody said ‘Oh, 100 million dollars,’ but the alternative would have been to exclude them — and that would have been more expensive.”