Fernando Alonso’s manager has denied reports the Spanish driver pushed to be the undisputed number one driver at McLaren in 2007.
The Mirror newspaper in Britain claims the now Ferrari driver made the demand around the time of that year’s Hungarian grand prix, when he was penalised for deliberately holding up teammate Lewis Hamilton in a qualifying pitstop.

“During that phase I remember talking to the drivers and their management and saying what a great driver would want to do is look at himself in the mirror and say ‘I have won this world championship on merit’ and not by the team leaning one way and giving him an advantage,” said team boss Martin Whitmarsh.

The newspaper’s revelation comes amid the Hockenheim team orders scandal, with Alonso saying “this is ridiculous” on the radio shortly before Felipe Massa was ordered to move aside for the double world champion.

Alonso’s manager, Luis Garcia Abad, was reluctant to comment on the 2007 claims.

“I don’t want to talk about it but in any case, it’s not true,” he said.