McLaren win to be investigated

Formula 1: McLaren's victory at the Monaco Grand Prix is to be investigated for a "possible breach of the International Sporting Code," the Formula One governing body, the FIA, has announced.

Yesterday's grand prix was won by Fernando Alonso with McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton in a comfortable second, almost a minute ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

McLaren boss Ron Dennis insists he has "a clear conscience" about the win, claiming that the one-two was team strategy, rather than team orders.

The latter are banned by the FIA after Rubens Barrichello was told to let Michael Schumacher win the Austrian Grand Prix of 2002.

Dennis insists there was nothing amiss with his plans for the 78-lap race around the streets of the Principality.

The 59-year-old catered for a potential safety car incident, as had occurred in four of the previous five Monaco Grands Prix.

If one had taken place, Hamilton would have claimed the victory.

As it was the 22-year-old was instructed "to take it easy" late on as he had closed to within 0.8 seconds of Alonso.

That left a clearly unhappy Hamilton bemoaning his second fiddle role, insisting: "I've number two on my car and I am the number two driver."

It begs the question as to where the fine line comes between team orders and team strategy.

"Team strategy is what you bring to bear to win a grand prix; team orders are what you bring to bear to manipulate a grand prix," explained Dennis. "We do not, and have not, manipulated grands prix unless there are some exceptional circumstances.

"For example in Australia (1998), someone tapped into our radio and instructed Mika Hakkinen to enter the pits.

"He entered the pits, but I reversed that because that was unfair. That was an outside influence influencing the outcome of the race.

"That is one of the very rare occasions there's been a team order.

"I have a clear conscience, both with regard to that particular race and this race here (Monaco)."

Hamilton is now level on 38 points with Alonso, albeit the reigning world champion has the advantage by virtue of his two race wins this year.

"Lewis and Fernando enjoy being in a competitive team, and having competitive cars," added Dennis, who will now be called to explain his actions by the FIA.