BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Fernando Alonso can overtake teammate
Lewis Hamilton in the season standings and their McLaren team will
take its off-circuit feud with Ferrari back onto the track this
weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Alonso vaulted to within two points of leader Hamilton with his
victory at the European Grand Prix on July 22 in Germany. The win
was Alonso's third this season, and cut Hamilton's lead to 70-68 as
the English rookie missed the podium for the first time in 10
starts. Hamilton started from 10th place after crashing in
qualifying, and finished ninth in the race.
Hamilton and Ferrari's Felipe Massa both have two victories this
year, with Massa third in the overall standings with 59 points.
Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen, the only other driver with three
wins, is fourth with 52 points.
McLaren leads the constructor standings with 138 points to 111
for Ferrari.
Besides the season-long on-track duel between the teams, McLaren
and Ferrari are also embroiled in a bitter dispute before FIA --
motorsport's world governing body -- concerning leaked information
and sabotage.
The bickering was renewed Thursday, when McLaren boss Ron Dennis
attacked Ferrari for continuing the dispute over leaked
confidential information and accused the Italian team of having an
"illegal competitive advantage" at the Australian Grand Prix
earlier this season.
Dennis said in a five-page letter to Luigi Macaluso, head of the
Italian automobile association, which represents Ferrari, that
Raikkonen may have won the season-opening race in March in a car
using an illegal floor attachment mechanism.
"As far as we are aware, Ferrari ran their cars with this
illegal device at the Australian Grand Prix, which they won,"
Dennis said. "In the interests of the sport, McLaren chose not to
protest the result of the Australian GP, even though it seems clear
that Ferrari had an illegal competitive advantage."
The main dispute ignited when a 780-page technical dossier on
Ferrari cars was found at the home of McLaren chief designer Mike
Coughlan, who has since been suspended. The documents were
allegedly supplied by Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney, who was
fired.
After a hearing in Paris last Thursday, FIA's World Motor Sport
Council ruled that McLaren did possess secret Ferrari documents but
did not punish the team because there was insufficient evidence the
material was misused.
Ferrari's decision to appeal the verdict was also criticized by
Dennis in the letter.
"The world championship should be contested on the track, not
in courts or in the press," Dennis wrote.
Meanwhile, the drivers are trying to focus on this weekend's
race.
"It was great to take the win in Germany and I hope to achieve
the same result in Hungary," Alonso said this week. "I have some
good memories from this track, as I took my first Formula One
victory in Hungary."
Alonso won here in 2003, barely a month after his 22nd birthday.
Last year, he started 15th after a penalty in qualifying, but
took the lead only to drop out after he lost his wheel.
Hamilton is anxious to get back on the podium.
"We have as good a chance as anyone at the race," he said in a
team statement. "We have a great car and it is important that I go
with a clear mind and the same approach as normal, but there is no
reason why we can't go there and win."
Alonso and Hamilton were pulled from scheduled media events on
Thursday at McLaren's request, apparently to keep them away from
questions about the dispute with Ferrari.
There is free practice Friday and Saturday morning with
qualifying on Saturday afternoon.
Sunday's race is 70 laps on the twisting, 2.72-mile Hungaroring
circuit.