McLaren will have to wait an agonizing two months, until February 14, before learning whether its 2008 car is deemed entirely legal, and hasn't benefited as a result of information leaked from Ferrari.

"The World Motor sport council today announced: "In its decision of 13 September 2007, the WMSC instructed the FIA Technical Department to conduct an investigation of the preparatory work by McLaren on its 2008 car to determine whether that car incorporates any confidential Ferrari information.

This investigation has been concluded and a detailed report submitted to the WMSC. The WMSC considers that McLaren, Ferrari and the other competitors in the FIA Formula One World Championship should be afforded the opportunity to make considered representations on the report at an extraordinary general meeting of the WMSC to be held on Thursday 14 February 2008 in Paris."

Should the new McLaren be found to contain any IP belonging to Ferrari, the Woking team could be docked points or even excluded from the 2008 World Championship.

After an Annus Horribilis in 2007, the decision to leave the team in limbo for a further two months - the FIA's own little St Valentine's Day present for Ron Dennis no doubt - will only add to the British team's frustration.