Renault Fear Being Shunted to the Butt End of the Paddock Over Mclaren Data

Renault could join McLaren at the far end of the formula one paddock next year if the sport's governing body finds the French team guilty of using design details illegally acquired from McLaren when the FIA world motor sport council meets this morning in Monte Carlo.

Only four months after the FIA stripped McLaren of their constructors' championship points - and imposed a $100m (£50m) fine - for illegally pirating Ferrari data, Renault could face a similar penalty if, as McLaren believe, the extent of their unauthorized possession of a large amount of technical information belonging to their rival is even more far reaching than the earlier accusation against McLaren, though last night they were forced to clarify their allegations.

With pit allocation dependent on team positions in the previous year's constructors' championship, McLaren and Renault could be rubbing shoulders with such relative paupers as Super Aguri and Force India, the newly named Spyker outfit.

The outcome of the investigation is also likely to be a crucial factor in determining whether Fernando Alonso rejoins Renault for 2008 after his much-publicized breach with McLaren after only one year.

For Max Mosley, the FIA president, a guilty verdict against Renault would offer an opportunity to demonstrate to the skeptical that the governing body is even-handed in imposing penalties for seriously infringing the rules. On the other hand, some rival team principals point out that disqualifying Renault from third place after a season in which they failed to win a single race hardly equates to the penalty handed out to McLaren, who were locked in a championship duel with Ferrari when they lost their points at the end of August.

McLaren yesterday issued a statement clarifying their allegations after being asked by the FIA to correct "certain factual errors" in a background media briefing.

McLaren had initially said that the information taken amounted to an "entire technical blueprint of the 2006 and 2007 McLaren car" but last night said it constituted "a technical definition of the fundamental layout of the 2007 McLaren car and the technical details of its innovative and performance enhancing systems". The FIA will be investigating Renault in respect of the unauthorized possession of that confidential McLaren technical information .

McLaren said yesterday that: "The information taken ... on floppy disks, in hard copy form and by email amounts to 762 pages when printed out. The 11 computer disks included 18 individual technical drawings." The world motor sport council is expected to reach a decision today.