Lewis: Alonso not talking

Last updated: 6th August 2007

Hamilton: problem

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Lewis Hamilton has claimed that McLaren Mercedes team-mate - and increasingly fractious rival - Fernando Alonso has stopped talking to him.

The Hungarian GP winner said that the world champion has maintained a wall of silence following the contretemps in qualifying which saw Alonso demoted from pole position to sixth on the grid.

"He doesn't seem to have been speaking to me since yesterday. So I don't know if he has a problem," Hamilton said.

Alonso was punished after holding station in the pits longer than necessary during qualifying, thus preventing Hamilton from trying to better his time.

McLaren's argument that the situation had resulted from Hamilton's own disregard for team orders earlier in qualifying - not allowing Alonso past him on the track - was also turned down by the stewards.

Argument

The team were therefore docked constructors' championship points for the race, with events clearly angering both Hamilton and boss Ron Dennis - the two arguing via radio.

"With Ron, obviously yesterday he wasn't very happy. We just had to be professional and sat down and spoke about it and I told him my views," Hamilton continued.

"He respected those and said 'Okay, I respect that because its part of your personality'...so we came to a mutual understanding and started with a clean slate from today.

"It was difficult to stay focused because obviously you had this feeling in the team, that the team weren't getting any points.

"So you didn't know whether the team hated you, or whether they just hated the situation, who they blamed."

Forgiven

But, although Dennis quickly forgave both his drivers, one prominent team member apparently has yet to forgive Hamilton.

"So I did go around to the whole team and I said 'come on, let's do this, good luck.' There was only one person that didn't (respond). That didn't really affect me, I just got on and did my job," he added.