Hamilton, Alonso
play down rivalry

MELBOURNE — Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have swerved suggestions their bitter relationship could turn nasty during this weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

The two made no secret of their intense rivalry and at times open dislike for each other when they were teammates at McLaren last year and Alonso’s move to Renault has added a new dimension to their feud.

Alonso and Hamilton both played down the suggestion when they appeared together at a news conference in Melbourne on Thursday, trading compliments instead of insults.

Hamilton, who recently said he expects McLaren to be a far more harmonious team now that Alonso has departed, said it had been an honor to work with the Spaniard last year, when he was asked in jest whether he would miss him.

"When you have a two-time world champion (Alonso), when you come into your first season and someone you’ve been watching for so many years, you come and you work against them, work with them, it’s a privilege," Hamilton said.

"From that point of view, it’s a shame he’s not there."

The 23-year-old Briton said he had already developed a strong relationship with his teammate Heikki Kovalainen and believed he could pick up some tips from him even though both are relative newcomers to the sport.

"It’s a new challenge for me and Heikki. Having another guy in the team, you always learn something new from a different driver, so I’ve got that opportunity," Hamilton said.

"He has got a great career under his belt already, lots of experience as have I.

"We are coming into our second year in Formula One and we both have the same hunger for winning and pushing the team forward. I think it is quite good that we are both aiming in the same direction."

Alonso, who joined McLaren after winning the 2005 and 2006 world titles with Renault, returned the compliment to Hamilton, saying the Englishman’s raw enthusiasm had inspired him.