LONDON (Reuters) - Formula One's governing body on Friday deferred to February a ruling on whether McLaren's 2008 car was free of data leaked from Ferrari in a spying controversy.

The decision, announced by the International Automobile Federation (FIA) after a meeting in Monaco, meant that Britain's Lewis Hamilton will not know until a month before the start of the season whether his car has been cleared.

If not, McLaren could start the new season with a points penalty.

The FIA said McLaren, Ferrari and other teams would be invited to discuss the matter at a meeting of its World Motor Sport Council in Paris on February 14. The first grand prix of 2008 is in Australia on March 16.

McLaren were fined $100 million (49 million pounds) and stripped of all their 2007 constructors' points in September for having Ferrari technical information in their possession.

They were told at the time that there would also be an inspection of the 2008 McLaren to ensure it was free of any Ferrari intellectual property.

"This investigation has been concluded and a detailed report submitted to the WMSC," the FIA said.

"The WMSC considers that McLaren, Ferrari and the other competitors in the FIA Formula One world championship should be afforded the opportunity to make considered representations on the report..."

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Trevor Huggins)