Alonso: `McLaren favour Hamilton but will treat us equally`

Fernando Alonso says he believes that McLaren will play fair in Brazil by treating him and Lewis Hamilton equally - but has reiterated his belief that the team is conspiring against him

The World Champion will travel to Brazil in two weeks' time just four points adrift of his McLaren colleague after finishing second in the Chinese GP while Hamilton crashed out after being told to stay out on badly-worn tyres.

Had roles been reversed, a diplomatic incident may have ensued. For while the Spaniard expects McLaren to provide equality, he remains insistent that they favour Hamilton.

"I'm sure there's going to be equality. One thing is how they feel, what they say about me, but what they do on track is a different thing, and usually they have had two cars that are exactly same, capable of fighting for victory," he assured reporters.

"And that's what I think will happen in Brazil, so everything will be up to me.

"The second half of the season has been difficult and it still is, but I think in the end the two cars will be the same. They are going to give us both the same opportunities, I think we need to make that clear.

"There's no problem there, but we know they are never going to have favourable feelings towards me."

Compared to some of Alonso's complaints this weekend, his latest grievance was tame.

On Thursday, he pointedly refused to refute suggestions that the team had 'doctored' his car, while on Friday he complained that he could not trust Ron Dennis. After qualifying on Saturday, when he returned to the McLaren motorhome to smash a door in frustration, his comments verged on the slanderous: "I was expecting a lot more from the team. It's better to be silent than to lie - and that's something he [Dennis] should do more often. Many of the scandals McLaren have been involved in off the track this year have been created by his things."

Even after collecting second place in Shanghai, Alonso was unrepentant about his criticism.

"Yesterday I did not say anything that is not true," he insisted. "The team has been saying many bad things about me, from Spa onwards especially, so the relationship didn't change too much."


source & pic: planet-f1