Bernie Ecclestone revealed on Friday that McLaren came close to being kicked out of formula one during yesterday's World Motor Sport Council hearing in Paris.

Rumour was rife on Thursday afternoon that the 26-man FIA body, having found the team guilty of breaching the International Sporting Code in the light of new evidence, had triggered its earlier promise to exclude McLaren from the 2007 and 2008 championships.

F1's chief executive, also member of the World Council, said at Spa-Francorchamps that the rumour was nearly reality.

Ecclestone is quoted as saying by the BBC that the Council came within 'minutes' of officialising the verdict.

"It came very close to McLaren being thrown out, it really was a genuine possibility," he said.

"A few of us sort of battled on and campaigned for the ($100m) fine instead."

McLaren also had its constructors' points taken away, and Ecclestone insisted that a similarly hefty fine - that would put many of the smaller teams out of business - would be dished out in future for any more instances of espionage.

"Even if it is a smaller team than McLaren, they're gone, without any hesitation," the 76-year-old Briton said.

"The alternative to the fine was worse, being excluded from the championship for two years. It was much closer than everybody says it was."

Ecclestone reckoned that even Ron Dennis' team, with a turnover nudging (US) $500m a year, would have struggled to survive had it been forced to sit out next season.

"It really would have been bad news," he added. "McLaren would have lost more than they have been fined, if they'd have been able to keep going."