Hamilton hits out at ‘disloyal’ Alonso after evidence threat

LEWIS HAMILTON has raised the stakes for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix with another swipe at team-mate and title rival Fernando Alonso.

The world championship leader has accused the Spaniard of being disloyal to McLaren after Alonso threatened to reveal evidence that would implicate the team in the spying row with Ferrari due to an argument with principal Ron Dennis at the Hungarian Grand Prix over his status in the Woking-based outfit.

And Hamilton believes Alonso’s behaviour was unforgivable given their attempts to make him feel at home after his switch from Renault.

“Fernando was the world champion coming into the team and, especially at the beginning of the season, he’s the guy that’s supposed to take them to the championship, and they’ve bent over backwards to make him feel comfortable,” said Hamilton.

“Me and Pedro (de la Rosa) have done the same, we’ve been told ‘try and make Fernando feel welcome in the team’. We’ve done that and then you saw what he did.”

Hamilton set the fastest time of the day as he led a McLaren one-two in yesterday’s second practice session after the Ferrari duo of Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa had served notice that the winner of tomorrow’s 67-lap race at the Fuji Speedway will be as difficult to predict as first thought.

The Fuji circuit is staging a grand prix for the first time in 30 years and all 11 teams took advantage of the first opportunity to get out on track with most completing around 60 laps over the two 90-minute periods.

Ferrari dominated the morning stint with Raikkonen topping the timesheets before McLaren, and Hamilton in particular, hit back in the afternoon as the 22-year-old beat the Finn’s earlier time by nearly four tenths of a second.

And the rookie reiterated his stance that he will take the fight to Alonso over the final three races that will decide the world championship after the Spaniard forced him wide at the first turn in Belgium last time out.

“I’m going to attack 110%,” he said. “I won’t be giving him room next time. But I don’t want to do anything silly that would take us both off the track.”

Hamilton was also honest enough to admit that poor choices regarding the set-up of his car have allowed Alonso to chip away at his lead over the last three races.

“I certainly haven’t got it right the last couple of races,” he added.