Hamilton admits problems with Alonso

Topics:  McLaren, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso

Audrey Nolan
August 19, 2007

After admitting they have problems while on a bad start at the Hungarian Grand Prix; there was a qualifying controversy when Hamilton didn’t let Alonso by at the start of the final 15-minute qualifying period, despite of being advice by radio several times.

The McLaren team is under a lot of pressure with this “war” between Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, since Alonso doesn’t speak to Hamilton after the last one won the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday. However, it landed both of them, specially Alonso, in hot water with a five-place grid penalty as he was "unnecessarily impeded" Hamilton, robbing the young Briton of a final chance of a hot lap. "For the record, Fernando and I are fiercely competitive and respectful of each other," said Hamilton. "We are both ambitious drivers who want to win. However, we are not drivers at war, as has been widely reported.

Although, we did not speak on Sunday, we have spoken since the weekend and continue to have a professional working relationship. In fact, Fernando and I plan to meet up over the holiday period." For their part , McLaren's points from the race - 15 in total - do not count towards the constructors' championship. The team have confirmed they are appealing against the punishment, with a date yet to be determined as they already face a September 13 hearing in Paris in relation to the 'spy' scandal. "Because of the problems we are having with the FIA and Ferrari, it's just more pressure on the team," remarked Hamilton. "The comforting thing is we have all this stuff going on, even at the weekend, and yet we weren't distracted from our job. "I learned a lot from the weekend, about my team, how strong they are to deal with all the issues that are going on right now.

About the Author Audrey Nolan is a high-ranking writer on sports for the online betting industry. You can also find more of her work at http://www.instantactionsports.com/uk

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