Fernando Alonso continues war of words with Lewis Hamilton
Wednesday, 27 Feb 2008 22:33
Alonso says abuse towards Hamilton may not have been racially motivated
Fernando Alonso has continued his war of words with former team-mate Lewis Hamilton, claiming it is to be expected that Spanish fans will jeer him.
Alonso, now driving for Renault after leaving the McLaren team at the end of last season, says the Spanish fans do not like Hamilton for the way the Briton treated their hero last year.
Hamilton was the subject of abuse from a small section of fans during a testing session in Barcelona last month but Alonso claims it was not necessarily racially motivated.
Alonso says Hamilton's comments, claiming the Spaniard had shown him "just how not to behave as a world champion", could have caused the backlash from some of his supporters.
He told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser: "I didn't take any notice [when he said that], but the very next week they whistled him in Spain for saying that.
"That's the other side of the situation. If you talk like that, it's no wonder they jeer you."
Alonso is concerned that if Spanish fans show any ill-feeling towards Hamilton in the future it will be judged as racially motivated and Spain will lose its grand prix – something the FIA warned could happen.
"If nobody knows exactly what they said to him, it is difficult," said Alonso.
"I haven't seen any of that on the television. If it happened, then it must be strongly condemned, but if it didn't, then it is quite a nasty trick."
Hamilton has been dominating recent testing sessions in Barcelona while Alonso's Renault has been in the middle of the pack.
However the double world champion said he expected to be slower than the McLarens at this time of the season and did not regret rejoining the team.