No way it will affect the drivers - Ecclestone

Bernie Ecclestone, the Formula One supremo, is confident that the espionage case will be dealt properly by the governing body, the FIA. The FIA declared on Wednesday that they will investigate the matter with the full support of both Ferrari and McLaren. The remit of this investigation will focus solely on the requirements of the International Sporting Code and the Formula One Regulations.

Bernie Ecclestone said in the British newspaper 'The Times': "It will be dealt with in the correct manner. What is important is that there are no mistakes made.

"If somebody is saying, 'You did something wrong', we need to make sure we know what we are talking about. We don't want to go in there firing a gun with no bullets in the chamber. We don't know the McLaren side of things or the guy who allegedly took the drawings: is it him personally? Or is McLaren involved? Ron Dennis, the team principal, says it's not McLaren, he's completely transparent, and if it's the guy himself, did he buy them? Did he know they were stolen when he received them? Because he is in just as big trouble as the person who stole them, isn't he?"

According to Ecclestone, both McLaren drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, will not lose any championship points as a result of the controversy: "If the information was used, did it affect in any way the performance of the car and, if so, where? In that case the FIA could take away constructors' points from the team. But there is no way it would affect the driver. It is nothing to do with the driver. He's got the car, he gets into the car, he has no idea."