LONDON (AP) - The mechanic at the heart of Formula One's spy scandal said Ferrari also benefited from receiving secret information and should have been punished along with McLaren.

Nigel Stepney, who was fired as head of performance at Ferrari after the scandal broke in July, said he was able to supply the Italian team with details of McLaren's cars thanks to an exchange with its chief designer, Mike Coughlan.

"I got information about when they were stopping (during races)," Stepney was quoted as saying in The Sunday Times. "I got weight distribution, I got other aspects of various parts of their car from him. Ferrari got off lightly."
Stepney said he also knew information from McLaren tests, including fuel levels.

The scandal broke after a 780-page technical dossier on Ferrari cars was found at Coughlan's home in July. Coughlan was later suspended while Stepney, who allegedly supplied the documents, was fired.

McLaren was fined a record US$100 million (euro72 million) fine by the World Motor Sport Council on Sept. 13 after being accused of using leaked secret data from Ferrari.

McLaren was also kicked out of the manufacturers' championship, but drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton - who are both in contention for the title - were not docked points.

Stepney said Ferrari should have also been punished.

"I think they should have been docked points," he said. "The question is 'Did I use the information, did I talk about it?' I spoke to some people about it. I can't prove it, there are no e-mails or anything.

"As well as McLaren having an advantage, did Ferrari have an advantage? I think so."

Stepney has since returned to his native England and said he doesn't plan to work in Formula One again.

"I'm not angry with it," he said. "I think the FIA needs to change. It's a business and should be managed by people with more professionalism. The FIA is a big family managed by certain people."