F1: McLaren boss Ron Dennis believes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso have a "positive and growing partnership" and insisted there is no favouritism towards the young Briton.
Alonso said yesterday he has "never felt totally comfortable" at McLaren since Hamilton (22) was confirmed as his team-mate for the 2007 season.
The Spaniard joined McLaren from Renault after back-to-back drivers' championships but suggested he feels slightly sidelined by the arrival of a British driver at a British team.
Hamilton has so far outshone his team-mate, securing his first Formula One victory at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on Sunday and leading the drivers' championship by eight points in a sensational rookie season.
Alonso said yesterday: "I have a British team-mate in a British team, and he's doing a great job and we know that all the support and help is going to him and I understood that from the beginning."
But team principal Dennis said: "It's completely understandable that the results of each Grand Prix are going to provide both the British and the Spanish media with an opportunity to hang on every word that the drivers say - and sometimes quotes are taken out of context which can put a completely different spin on an innocent remark.
"The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team is made up by extremely passionate and competitive people and there is a healthy competition between the teams working on each car - this is inevitable and there is no issue with that.
"However I can categorically state once again that both drivers have equal equipment, equal support and equal opportunity to win within the team and both Fernando and Lewis know and support this.
"Fernando's comments when read carefully are correct; he hasn't been with the team long and the relationship can only continue to develop. The team is not going to do anything to jeopardise this positive and growing partnership."