McLaren's Fernando Alonso has denied press speculation linking him with new evidence supplied to Formula 1 authorities in the 'spy' controversy currently embroiling his team and Ferrari.
Spanish dailies suggested on Friday that Alonso had received e-mails from McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa in which leaked Ferrari information was clearly referred to.
An e-mail showing that several people at McLaren knew about the Ferrari material would disprove the British team's claim that only one person in the squad knew, chief designer Mike Coughlan.
This, in turn, would probably convince the governing FIA to throw McLaren out of the 2007 championship, which they are leading, and exclude it from next year's also.
If this were to happen, Ferrari stand to gain at least this year's titles and its battle for the 2008 one would be much easier.
One theory aired in the press on Friday was that Alonso, who is thought to be unhappy at McLaren, sent such an incriminating e-mail to the governing FIA in order to punish his team and get out of his three-year contract at the end of the season.
"It's a lie," Alonso told reporters during practice for this weekend's Italian Grand Prix.
"If McLaren is punished, I will be too. I'm part of this team and the problem will be shared," he continued. "We're here to win the constructors and drivers' championships and there is no one in the team who isn't concentrating on this objective".
FIA President Max Mosely wrote to all Formula 1 racing teams recently asking them to offer up any e-mails or other such documentation relevant to the spying charges.
Alonso confirmed to ANSA that he received the letter and sent a reply. He did not say what his reply contained.
Ferrari has welcomed news that Formula 1 authorities have fresh evidence in the spy controversy pitting it against McLaren, seeing the development as a sign that the "truth" is finally coming out.
PARIS HEARING.
McLaren, who are again expected to face questions on who knew about the Ferrari information and for how long, have said they will continue to cooperate with the FIA.
The governing FIA on Wednesday said its top disciplinary panel would meet for a hearing in Paris on September 13 to examine the new evidence about which nothing is known for certain.
The panel shocked the Italian team in July by saying it could not punish McLaren for unauthorised possession of Ferrari information because there was no evidence the material had been used to gain an advantage in the championship.
McLaren says Coughlan alone had access to the confidential information leaked to him by Nigel Stepney, Ferrari's former chief engineer who has since been fired.
Apart from several e-mails from Stepney, Coughlan is said to have received a 780-page dossier of Ferrari secrets from his fellow Englishman in April this year, soon after the start of the 2007 grand prix season.
McLaren says nobody at McLaren knew of this material until July 3 when the scandal erupted. Ferrari contests this and says McLaren should be punished in any case.
Ferrari have taken legal action in Britain against Coughlan and in Italy against Stepney, who is being investigated by Modena prosecutors.
