Hamilton says not at war with Alonso

Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton denied reports he was 'at war' with McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso following Sunday's controversial Hungarian Grand Prix.

"For the record, Fernando and I are fiercely competitive and respectful of each other. We are both ambitious drivers who want to win. However, we are not drivers at war, as has been widely reported," British rookie Hamilton said in a statement.

"Although we did not speak on Sunday, we have spoken a few times since the weekend and we continue to have a professional working relationship."

After winning three races in his record-breaking debut season, Hamilton leads the title race with 80 points to Spaniard Alonso's 73.

Hamilton's McLaren team also issued a statement to "correct one important matter of untrue critical commentary" that the driver had not used the 'F' word while speaking to team boss Ron Dennis over the radio after qualifying at the Hungaroring last Saturday.

In the controversial qualifying session, Alonso appeared to deliberately block Hamilton's exit from the pits to gain an advantage, and with it pole position.