An even-handed verdict

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has today been dealt a suspended three-race ban by the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) for deliberately misleading stewards. The decision might appear lenient to some; indeed a current poll on Guardian Unlimited suggests that a majority of those following the sport feel that McLaren have been lucky not to receive a sterner punishment.

It should be recalled, though, that disqualifying Hamilton from the Australian Grand Prix - for something that was not even a racing incident - was in itself a severe penalty. To punish him and the team twice for the same offence would not only be harsh, but it would also smack of prejudice against McLaren.

Also worth keeping in mind is that the charges brought against McLaren today were not of deliberately attempting to flout the regulations, but of bringing Formula One into disrepute. Arguably, however, it is not the sport but the team themselves whose reputation has suffered as a result of the incident. Rumours persist of disquiet amongst the team's sponsors and their engine supplier Mercedes-Benz, which also owns a 40 per cent stake in the outfit.

In all, the WMSC has been commendably even-handed over this affair. In their statement they have recognised the "change in culture" at McLaren and the "open and honest way" in which the team has co-operated with the FIA. But at the same time, by imposing a suspended ban they make it clear that the team remains under close watch: any further infringements of the sporting code will have greater repercussions.

Photo reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 license from an image uploaded to Flickr.com by abragad.