Hamilton can race for title - McLaren boss

McLaren boss Ron Dennis is adamant Lewis Hamilton is free to race for the Formula One world title after the British rookie suggested he is playing second fiddle to Fernando Alonso.

For the first time in his fledgling career Hamilton wore the look of a disappointed man after finishing runner-up for the fourth successive grand prix, this time around the streets of Monaco.

A seemingly routine one-two finish for the McLaren team took on a different perspective as Hamilton bemoaned the fact he was unable to push Alonso in the closing stages of the 78-lap race, allowing the Spaniard to win for the 17th time in his career.

“I caught him up, but it’s extremely difficult to overtake here in Monaco, and he was obviously on a similar pace to me,” explained the 22-year-old.

“I was told to take it easy, so there was no point pressuring him into a mistake, and then if he had made a mistake to crash into him, so it was best to finish one-two.

“To be honest I pushed as much as I could to the end. I didn’t give up, so I didn’t really take too much notice and kept going.

“But at the end of the day I’m a rookie, and finishing second in what is my first Monaco Grand Prix, I really can’t complain.

“It is something I have to live with. I’ve number two on my car and I am the number two driver.

“Coming into the season I expected to be number two driver. I’m a rookie, it’s my first season, and I’m just pleased to be here.

“I’m still living the dream. I’ve been on the podium in my first five grands prix, and I hope to continue with that.”

Dennis maintained Alonso was “on a radically different strategy” to Hamilton to cover for the deployment of a safety car.

That had occurred four times in the prior five grands prix around the Principality, and if it had happened in this race, Hamilton would have been the one celebrating.

“We are scrupulously fair at all times in how we run this grand prix team,” insisted Dennis.

“This circuit has to be addressed in a team way, and that is why we have won 14 races here.

“I don’t like to slow drivers down, to be frustrated or see these things happen.

“But because I am an absolute racer, it is the way you have to win the Monaco Grand Prix, which is what we have done.

“We had to cope with the potential deployment of the safety car, so consequently you virtually have to decide in advance which one of the team’s drivers will claim the victory.

“Once the first round of pit stops had taken place we reverted Lewis from a one-stop strategy to the faster two.

“As a team we would like to race, but this circuit requires a disciplined approach, and as a result we can leave Monte Carlo with the maximum amount of points.”

As far as Dennis is concerned, there are no team orders – and never will be - and that Hamilton and Alonso can now slug it out for the championship.

The duo are level on 38 points, although reigning double world champion Alonso carries the advantage as he has now won two races this year.

“Lewis has an equal opportunity to win the world championship,” maintained Dennis.

“I have been monstrously criticised in the past for not favouring a driver and frittering away the opportunity of a world title.

“But we will never favour one driver over another, no matter who it is. We never have and we never will.

“There will be places where they will be free to race, but this is not one of them because one driver pushing another will induce a mistake, and then you’ve a car out.

“Everybody would then say ’what an idiot the team principal of McLaren is for allowing his cars to compete to a level where one of them is in the barrier’.

“It’s not the right way to go.”

Felipe Massa was almost 70 seconds down by the chequered flag in finishing third in his Ferrari, and now trails the McLaren duo by five points.

Kimi Raikkonen is 15 points down after claiming a creditable point for eighth from 16th on the grid following his qualifying mistake, but Ferrari are 20 points adrift of McLaren in the constructors’ title race.

Behind Massa, the Renault of Giancarlo Fisichella was fourth for his best result of the year, with the BMW Saubers of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld fifth and sixth, while Williams’ Alexander Wurz was a season-high seventh.