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FORMULA 1: McLaren issues a public apology over Formula 1 spy saga

Formula One team McLaren issued a public apology on Thursday over their role in the spying saga that rocked the world championship this year.

The team confirmed data from Ferrari penetrated the team more deeply than revealed.

"As a result of the investigations carried out by the FIA it has become clear that Ferrari information was more widely disseminated within McLaren than was previously communicated," a team statement said. "McLaren greatly regrets that its own investigations did not identify this material and has written to the World Motor Sport Council [WMSC] to apologize for this."

"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," it said. "During the course of these incidents, McLaren has conducted a thorough review of its policies and procedures regarding the recruitment and management of staff."

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

The WMSC, in conjunction with the Formula One teams, were due to hold an emergency general meeting on Feb. 14 in Paris to discuss the McLaren situation.

However, FIA president Max Mosley has asked the WMSC members for consent to cancel the hearing "in the light of McLaren's public apology and undertakings," and "in the interests of the sport, to consider this matter closed."

In September, McLaren were found guilty of fraudulent conduct, namely being in possession of technical information belonging to Ferrari.

That resulted in the WMSC fining the team US$50 million and stripping the team of all their constructors' points for last season.

Later on Thursday, Ferrari said that from a sporting point of view, the matter was now closed.

"The incident is closed from a sports point of view," said a Ferrari statement. "But judicial inquiries in Italy are still ongoing."
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