Caterham faces fine or expulsion over 'copying' accusation by Force India

Caterham-Renault team could face a heavy fine or even expulsion in the latest Spygate scandal to hit Formula One, in which Force India accused them of copying their intellectual property relating to the aerodynamic design of their 2010 car.

Even rival team Marussia have expressed concerns that QPR owner Tony Fernandes' Caterham gained an undue advantage when they both entered Formula One that year.

The High Court ruled last week that Aero lab, which is a design company used first by Force India, and afterward by Caterham must pay Force India 21,000 dollars for misuse of secret information as employees passed on some of their aerodynamic designs to Caterham.

Force India and Marussia deem the ruling signals a basic breach of the Formula One Association's International Sporting Code, which is the same article under which McLaren were charged, and found guilty in the Spygate saga of 2007.

"If nothing is now done, that means a free-for-all in the paddock. If nothing is done, could McLaren claim their $100million back?" the Daily Mail quoted Force India's deputy team principal Bob Fernley, as saying.

"If the FIA do sanction against Caterham, it could cost them tens of millions," Fernley added.