Sep.13 (GMM) An FIA official said ahead of the World Motor Sport Council hearing on Thursday that the McLaren drivers should escape penalties regardless of the team's involvement in the spy scandal.

Joaquin Verdegay, a regular FIA steward who occasionally steps in for Spanish motor sport chief Carlos Gracia in Council hearings, answered "no" when he was asked if Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton should have points docked or be kicked out of the 2007 season.

"The drivers have not caused the movement of information from Ferrari nor received it," he said on Spanish radio Cadena SER.

He added: "These gentlemen limit themselves to driving their cars; if the (team) technicians involve themselves in improper activities, then this is a problem solely of the technicians."

Carlos Gracia, meanwhile - who will actually vote on Thursday - vowed to defend Spaniards Alonso and Pedro de la Rosa, for example by lodging an appeal on their behalf if they are personally punished by the FIA.

"If Fernando or Pedro consider that the decision affects them in some way, of course we will unconditionally support them and defend their rights.

"The most important thing is that (on Thursday) everything is clarified and hopefully the drivers are unaffected," he told the Spanish newspaper As.