Hamilton Should Have Lost His Points, Says Mosley

Max Mosley, the FIA president, said yesterday that Lewis Hamilton and his McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso should have been thrown out of the formula one world championship. But he had been in the minority at last week's meeting of the FIA's world motor sport council, which fined the British team $100m (£50m) and took away their constructors' points.

Speaking at the Belgian grand prix, where Alonso and Hamilton finished third and fourth behind the Ferraris of Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, Mosley said he would have supported the loss of points for both men "on the grounds there is a suspicion that they had an advantage that they should not have had". Only the immunity he had granted the McLaren drivers in return for information prevented them being thrown out of the drivers' championship after the team were found guilty of using Ferrari data.

Mosley also said that, should Hamilton or Alonso win the title, a question mark would hang over the success. He felt that Hamilton, whose lead over Alonso was cut to two points yesterday, would not take as much satisfaction should he win the title. "I think he will probably feel more comfortable if he wins a subsequent championship, which I am sure he will, without any of these question marks," said the FIA president.

McLaren appear unlikely to appeal despite Ron Dennis believing his team have suffered an injustice. "If we do not appeal this, it will be because we want closure," said the team principal.

Jean Todt, the Ferrari team principal, revealed last night that Raikkonen had testified that McLaren eavesdropped on Ferrari's team radio throughout his time there. "I have to admit that we listen to certain car radios," Todt said. "Kimi testified that it was a common practice in his former team from 2002 to 2006."