, the Formula One team McLaren was hit with a record US$100 million (��72 million) fine Thursday by the World Motor Sport Council and stripped of its constructors' points in the biggest scandal to hit auto racing's premier circuit. McLaren's drivers, Lewis Hamilton, currently 1st place, and reigning F1 champion Fernando Alonso, currently in 2nd place, were permitted to keep their points in the Drivers' Championship with four races to go in the season.
The F1 case broke in July when a 780-page technical dossier on Ferrari cars was found at the home of McLaren's chief designer, Mike Coughlan, who was later suspended. Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney, who allegedly supplied the documents, was fired.
McLaren escaped censure by the World Motor Sport Council in July due to insufficient evidence that Ferrari's technical documents were misused. But Honda's revelations that Stepney and Coughlan had approached team boss Nick Fry in June about joining the F1 team whipped up further concerns over Ferrari's intellectual property.
The $100 million (��72 million) fine imposed on McLaren is 40 times larger than the previous F1 record ($2.5 million, ��1.8 million). Still, Dennis argued the fine is effectively halved because McLaren doesn't have to forfeit any revenue it's earned this season. He added that the financial strength of McLaren also would help absorb the impact of the fine.
"We still effectively have as an offset the revenue from the point earned to date," he said. "That will probably effectively halve the size of the check that we ultimately have to sign - if we ultimately accept this fine.
"We turn over roughly US$450 million to US$500 million (��324 million-��360 million) a year and we are debt free, so we're a very strong company (with) phenomenal growth."
And it likely won't cost McLaren the Formula One drivers' title.
Hamilton and Alonso, who lead the drivers' standings, are well ahead of Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa with four races left.
Hamilton, in his debut Formula One season, leads with 92 points, followed by two-time champion Alonso with 89. Raikkonen (74) and Massa (69) are third and fourth. And Alonso and Hamilton finished 1-2 in Sunday's Italian GP - at Ferrari's home track of Monza.
FIA said it did not penalize McLaren's drivers "due to exceptional circumstances" because they provided evidence in exchange for immunity.
The World Motor Sport Council ruled in July that McLaren was guilty of fraudulent conduct for possessing the Ferrari documents, but didn't punish the team because there was insufficient evidence the material was misused. However, the sport's governing body (FIA) called a new hearing of the council last week after "new evidence" had emerged.
Dennis said the evidence given by his drivers, engineers and staff on Thursday clearly demonstrated that his team did not use any leaked information to gain a competitive advantage.
"The evidence today was primarily e-mail traffic between our drivers, and in one instance, Mike Coughlan," Dennis said. "These were a few e-mails and the drivers have stated categorically that no information was passed to the team, and of course, the team had no knowledge of this e-mail traffic at any stage."
Among those appearing at the hearing before the 26-member council were Hamilton, Dennis and McLaren test driver Pedro De La Rosa. Alonso did not attend.
"There will be no issue for the 2008 season as we have not at any stage used any intellectual property of any other team," Dennis said.
Also under Thursday's ruling, McLaren is ineligible from earning any more points in the final races of the season.
"Ferrari is satisfied that the truth has now emerged," the Italian team said in a statement.
