One can argue both ways about the punishment given to Mclaren. One side is that there are double standards in Formula 1, one set of rules for Ferrari and another for the rest of the teams. That Ron Dennis and Max Mosely had major differences ( dont quite recall about what) and Max Mosely went on a witch hunt and hit Mclaren hard when he got the opportunity. There is a general feeling in the pitlane and amongust F1 fans that Ferrari are treated differently and that to some extent is true.
I for one dont understand that how can you find a team guilty of so much, fine them such a huge ammount, take their constructor points away but dont strip their drivers of their points!! This is beyond me. F1 stopped being a sport ages ago, its a multi million dollar business, and that is the only reason the two Mclaren drivers were spared. It makes no sense to say that a team got unfair advantage using data of another team , and to say that very well we will sort them out but spare the very drivers who drive those very cars which had all the stolen data.
Spying cannot be stopped. It goes on at some level, it has been and it will be in one form or another. The information that one driver takes with him when changing teams, what do you call that? I suppose the nice word would be " his input" For me the classic case is Heikki Kovalainen. He is one driver who has tested the Renault during the winter , and is now a Mclaren driver! Wonder what information he has taken with him to Mclaren or for that matter if Fisichella joins Force India. All the knowledge that he will bring from a front line team to a back of the grid team can be termed cheating in some form.