FORMULA One's spying scandal took a new twist yesterday, when Renault were accused of possessing confidential information belonging to McLaren.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has summoned Renault officials to a hearing of the World Motor Sport Council on Dec 6.

They have to answer a charge of having "unauthorised possession of documents and confidential information" of McLaren cars between September 2006 and last month.

The FIA statement said that those information includes the layout and critical dimensions of the McLaren F1 car.

It also contains details of their fuelling system, gear assembly, oil cooling and hydraulic control system and a novel suspension component.

Renault are trying to sign up former McLaren driver Fernando Alonso to a ?9.6 million (S$29 million) a year deal, but the latest scandal may cause the Spaniard to think twice.

The move comes just two months after McLaren were thrown out of the constructors' championship and fined US$100 million (S$143 million) for their part in the "Spygate" row with Ferrari.

It also comes on the same day that McLaren's team headquarters in Woking were raided by independent legal and technical experts investigating the saga for the FIA.

Meanwhile, McLaren can forget about hiring Nico Rosberg, after the 22-year-old German was confirmed as a Williams driver next season.

Joining him is Japan's Kazuki Nakajima, the replacement for Alexander Wurz.