Motor Racing: 'lucky' Hamilton is Mclaren's Favourite, Says Alonso

Fernando Alonso has suggested that his McLaren-Mercedes team have favoured the formula one rookie Lewis Hamilton and he claimed that the British driver was lucky to record his maiden victory in Sunday's Canadian grand prix.

Hamilton's win followed five podium finishes in the first five races of the season and he now leads Alonso, the double world champion, by eight points in the battle for this year's title. But with the drivers facing each other again in this Sunday's US grand prix in Indianapolis the Spaniard yesterday threatened to upset the equilibrium in the McLaren team.

"Right from the start I've never felt totally comfortable," he said. "I have a British team-mate in a British team. He's doing a great job and we know that all the support and help is going to him and I understood that from the beginning. But I'm not complaining. I've won two races out of six and I've finished on the podium four times and I have those 40 points that will allow me to fight for the title in the end."

Alonso, who finished seventh in Montreal, added: "Lewis's win is good for the team. But it was very lucky as well as we were on very similar strategies and if the safety car came out one lap before Lewis's stop we would have been eighth or ninth."

Asked if he felt that some of the mechanics in the team celebrated Hamilton's successes more than his, he told the Spanish radio station Cadena Ser: "I have sensed it a little, but I understand it. It's an English team."

The McLaren team principal, Ron Dennis, last night insisted that Alonso's comments had been blown out of proportion and he moved quickly to deny suggestions of a rift between the pair who, between them, have given the team a 28-point lead over Ferrari in the constructors' championship.

"It's completely understandable that the results of each grand prix are going to provide both the British and the Spanish media with an opportunity to hang on every word that the drivers say," said Dennis, "and sometimes quotes are taken out of context, which can put a completely different spin on an innocent remark. The McLaren-Mercedes team is made up of extremely passionate and competitive people and there is a healthy competition between the teams working on each car. This is inevitable and there is no issue with that. However, I can categorically state once again that both drivers have equal equipment, equal support and equal opportunity to win within the team and both Fernando and Lewis know and support this.

"Fernando's comments when read carefully are correct. He hasn't been with the team long and the relationship can only continue to develop. The team is not going to do anything to jeopardize this positive and growing partnership."

Alonso also criticized the British media for their partiality. "I'm totally indifferent to that," he said. "Those are the same journalists and newspapers that, if the safety car had come out on lap 23 instead of lap 24 when Hamilton didn't have enough fuel for another lap, would not have been able to say anything. The Spanish press has more respect than the British press."

The Spaniard, who benefited from team orders to win the Monaco grand prix, is still convinced he can overhaul the 22-year-old British driver and win a third consecutive drivers' title. "I'm calm, I'm fine, but I know there's a certain impatience to return to the top and dominate. But I'm second in the championship, I'm eight points behind. I would be worse if I were at Renault or Honda or any other team."