F1 team accused of 'cheating'

Motor racing's top official revealed that a team cheated during last season's world championship.

Max Mosley, president of the world governing body, FIA, refused to name the team but said retrospective action could be taken against them.

The team is believed to have been running a form of traction control - an electronic device that makes the car easier to drive - which was banned in the late 1990s.

"I am not going to name the team, but they were prepared to do something which was quite clearly outside the rules," said Mosley.

"We became aware of it over the winter, but we not have 100% proof at the moment.

"When we do we will have a word with them. But I do not believe it materially affected the course of the championship."

Mosley added that the governing body were moving before the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in two weeks' time to stop several teams also running a form of traction control.

FIA are telling drivers they will have to abide by speed limits in the pit-lane by their own means because teams were using the in-car technology to improve starts.

"There is nothing worse in any form of motor sport than when you have a culture of infringement of the rules," added Mosley. "Our fundamental task is to make sure racing is fair.

"We are determined to stop it because it is an unpleasant culture. Our job is to look each team principal in the eye and say we can guarantee to you no other team are breaking the rules."

Mosley added that the FIA had been forced to act because they could not rely on teams policing themselves.

He added: "We have got to stop assuming that major companies would not be involved in actions that were against the rules.

"That has produced a slightly different attitude and we are not prepared to take anything on trust anymore.

"When you get that you are getting to a stage where even the completely honest man has to cheat to be competitive. It happened in the world rally championship and we stopped it.

"There are beginning to be signs that it might be happening in Formula One and we are determined to stop it."

Ferrari's sporting director Jean Todt said: "You have the best teams in Formula One trying to interpret the rules and you have FIA trying to make sure the rules are respected.

"It is difficult for hundreds of people to be controlled by four or five even very good people."