Hamilton and Alonso hold talks to end McLaren feud

Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso finally held clear-the-air talks here yesterday. In an effort to avoid a repeat of the events that unfolded during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, the head of McLaren Ron Dennis ordered a crisis meeting at a hotel.

Dennis was furious and frustrated at the Hungaroring as his two drivers became embroiled in a battle on and off the track. Hamilton initiated the furore by ignoring team orders at the start of the final qualifying session as he was instructed over the radio on five occasions to allow Alonso by.

Hamilton chose not to do so, fearing it would compromise his own qualifying strategy. Alonso replied in kind by blocking the world championship leader in the pit lane, so preventing the 22-year-old Briton from embarking on a final flying lap.

Although Alonso secured pole, race stewards deemed he had "unnecessarily impeded another driver" and demoted him to sixth on the grid. Before the stewards delivered their verdict, Hamilton was first involved in a row with Dennis over the radio at the end of the qualifying period. A war of words followed between Hamilton and Alonso, culminating in the stewards siding with the Briton.

With Hamilton elevated to pole, he claimed victory, while Alonso came home fourth. A seven-point gap exists between the duo with six grands prix remaining.

Hamilton conceded after the race that Alonso had not spoken to him since qualifying, underlining the degeneration in their previously fragile relationship.

The silence was punctuated by a telephone call between the pair as Formula One began its short summer hiatus, Hamilton insisting that he and Alonso were "not drivers at war".

However, up until yesterday they had not met face-to-face, and with the build-up to this weekend's Turkish Grand Prix under way, Dennis felt it imperative the matter was put to rest.

It means for the second consecutive grand prix, Hamilton and Alonso managed to avoid media duties on the Thursday prior to a race. There is nothing in the FIA regulations that states that drivers have to speak to the media on a Thursday, so no sanction is applicable.