McLaren face wait

Representatives of Ron Dennis' team attended a hearing of the FIA World Motorsport Council, at which a verdict on the legality of their 2008 contender, with relation to F1's spying scandal, was due to be announced.

But, in an unexpected twist, the WMSC instead decided that a more thorough investigation of McLaren's new car would be enabled if they waited until closer to the start of the new season before giving the team the green light.

An FIA statement said: "In its decision of 13 September 2007, the WMSC instructed the FIA Technical Department to conduct an investigation of the preparatory work by McLaren on its 2008 car to determine whether that car incorporates any confidential Ferrari information.

"This investigation has been concluded and a detailed report submitted to the WMSC. The WMSC considers that McLaren, Ferrari and the other competitors in the FIA Formula One World Championship should be afforded the opportunity to make considered representations on the report at an extraordinary general meeting of the WMSC to be held on Thursday 14 February 2008 in Paris."

McLaren were fined US $100 million [£50.2 million] and thrown out of the 2007 constructors' championship in September when they were found to have knowingly possessed and taken advantage of technical information leaked to their suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan by Ferrari's former technical manager Nigel Stepney.

They were also told that they would face additional sanctions if their 2008 car was found to contain designs derived from the Ferrari information.

The WMSC decision means that should McLaren get the all-clear from the FIA technical group, they will do so just four weeks before the start of the new season.

McLaren insist that their cars will found in compliance with the rules.

"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.

"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."