McLaren exit leaves bitter taste for former star Alonso

FERNANDO ALONSO has taken a swipe at former employers McLaren and clearly still harbours a degree of bitterness towards the team.

Alonso feels if he had remained at McLaren, his life would have been a miserable one, fearing he would be driving with little support and playing second fiddle to Lewis Hamilton.

Alonso and McLaren went their separate ways at the end of last season, a move instigated by what unfolded at the Hungarian Grand Prix a year ago.

On that occasion, the Spaniard effectively held McLaren boss Ron Dennis to ransom, by demanding number one status over Hamilton or he would reveal all relating to the spy scandal.

It signalled Alonso’s eventual downfall and a return to Renault, the team that made him a two-time world champion in 2005 and 2006.

The move has not exactly gone to plan, as Alonso has struggled in an uncompetitive car, taking only 13 points from 10 races and yet to appear on the podium.

But a year on from arguably the worst weekend of his career, Alonso remarked: “I’m much happier this year for sure.

“Last year I had a possibility to fight for the championship again, and it was okay.

“I knew this year it would not be possible any more, but if I was racing for McLaren at this moment, maybe I would be in the position I am now — without the possibility to win.

“At least I am happy to be with Renault, with the full support of the team and knowing everybody is working night and day to give me the best car possible.”

When pointedly asked whether he had patched up his differences with Dennis, Alonso shied away from a definitive answer.

“Everyone makes his choices and he was very clear on his philosophy and way to run the team and to compete like that,” added Alonso.

“As a professional, I’m not like that and we chose different ways.

“It’s all okay with everybody. You just need to make choices. He made that choice, and I made mine.”

Alonso, who turned 27 on Tuesday, may be happier within himself now he is no longer with McLaren, but he concedes to frustration behind the wheel of his Renault.

“There is a little bit of that when you do a perfect race, but you finish sixth or seventh and there is nothing more you can do,” added Alonso.

“It is not what I have been used to for the last three or four years when I have been on pole and on the podium.

“Even Michael Schumacher, the guy with more titles (seven), spent four years at Ferrari not winning.

“So I need to be patient, and I need to work harder than ever now to win again as soon as possible.”

It means Alonso is currently fighting over the scraps, with Renault in a three-way battle with Toyota and Red Bull for fourth place in the constructors’ championship.

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton maintained his red-hot form by setting the fastest practice time of the day.

With temperatures nudging 30 degrees centigrade, Hamilton again underlined he will be the man to beat at the Hungaroring circuit tomorrow.

Although only fourth-quickest in the morning session behind title rivals Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen, as well as McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen, Hamilton set the record straight in the afternoon.

The 23-year-old, who has won the last two grands prix in Britain and Germany, to lead the title race by four points from Massa and seven to Raikkonen, posted a hot lap of one minute 20.554 seconds.

That was 0.194 seconds quicker than Nelson Piquet in his Renault, with the Brazilian and Hamilton second and first respectively, as in the race at Hockenheim 12 days ago.