Ecclestone allays Hamilton fears

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone insists there is "no way" World Championship leader Lewis Hamilton will be docked points in the Ferrari-McLaren spy row.

Motor racing's governing body, the FIA, are due to launch an investigation into allegations Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney leaked design secrets to McLaren's chief designer Mike Coughlan - but Ecclestone stressed that while the teams, if found to have breached the rules, could lose points in the constructors' championship, 22-year-old Hamilton's tally will be unaffected.

"Firstly, they [the FIA] have got to prove that if any information was given by Ferrari, it was used. And if it was used, did it affect in any way the performance of the car and, if so, where?" Ecclestone told the Times. "In that case, they 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."