FIA Spanks Mercedes-McLaren for "spying", Ron Dennis to appeal
The FIA (international auto racing governing body) slapped sanctions and a $100 million fine on the McLaren Mercedes Formula One team, specifically taking them out of the Manufacturer's Championship, for what has been described as a spy scandal when a former Ferrari employee came to McLaren and allegedly tried to sell secrets from the "Prancing Horse" barn. The FIA investigated and found the charges valid. The FIA could have excluded point leaders Lewis Hamilton and defending world champion Fernando Alonso from the driver's championship as well, but didn't. Ron Dennis, the team's managing director, is mulling over his options.
I'm wondering whether Mike Helton and Brian France studied this for possible application to the NASCAR justice system. This could be the perfect answer to what the apologists call the "cheating scandal"--you take away owners points, rather than drivers points (fans are rather much interested in what drivers do first, and then interested in what happens on a team level). Owner points set provisionals, etc. It could be high drama--think of the possibilities if a star could not get owner points, and had to qualify for each race, just like the drivers out of the top 35..they'd be racing to fulfill sponsor contracts, since they could not gain any points other than driver points...a half season of that, and the garage area would be squeaky clean, IMO.
