The Hindu : Sport / Racing : Motor : McLaren favours Hamilton, says Alonso

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Wednesday, Jun 13, 2007
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McLaren favours Hamilton, says Alonso

"It's an English team, all the help goes his way"

— Photo: AP

UNCOMFORTABLE TIMES: Fernando Alonso (left) has voiced his feelings about his team's attitude towards him and Lewis Hamilton.

MADRID : Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso complained on Tuesday that rookie team-mate Lewis Hamilton is getting preferential treatment from the McLaren team.

Two days after the 22-year-old Englishman won the Canadian Grand Prix to move into first place in the F1 standings, the Spanish driver sounded off.

"From the first moment I wasn't comfortable with everything," Alonso said on Cadena Ser radio.

"It's an English team, with an English team-mate. You know that all of the help goes his way. I've understood that from the first moment and, well, I'm not moaning about it."

Alonso finished seventh in Montreal. Hamilton has finished on the podium in all six races so far this season.

"I'm relaxed," Alonso said. "I'm good, though I know there is some impatience for the way I arrived and how I am expected to dominate. I'm where I want to be and I have clear options for winning the title, which is what we want."

"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," he said. "I'm calm, I'm fine, though I know there is some impatience to return to the top and dominate. "But I'm second in the championship, I'm eight points behind. It would be worse if I were at Renault, or Honda or any other team."

Sensing it

Asked if he felt some of the mechanics in the team celebrated Hamilton's successes more than his, Alonso said: "I have sensed it a little, but I understand it, it's an English team."

The 25-year-old went on to shrug off the British media's ecstatic reaction to Hamilton's victory. "I am indifferent to it. We know how they are and luckily the Spanish press have a little more respect than their English counterparts," he added. — Agencies

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