Hamilton move upsets Alonso

Lewis Hamilton pleaded his innocence after bitter rival Fernando Alonso accused him of disrespecting the rules following Sunday's European Grand Prix.

Hamilton finished second to Sebastian Vettel but there was a contentious edge to it that had Alonso up in arms. Stewards ruled Hamilton passed the safety car just as it took to the track following Mark Webber's 190mph smash. Alonso, along with Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa who were third and fourth at the time, were directly behind the 25-year-old, yet were forced to file in behind the safety car.

Hamilton eventually served his penalty 17 laps after the shunt, by which time he had enough in hand to retain second spot. Explaining what transpired, Hamilton said: "I was coming round turn one and literally as I got to the safety car line I saw the safety car was pretty much alongside me. I thought I had passed it, so I continued and that was it. That's how I saw it."

Behind the safety car for a lap before eventually making a stop for fresh tyres, Alonso emerged back in traffic, and on a notoriously difficult track to overtake ultimately finished eighth.

"It's a shame, not for us because this is racing, but for all the fans who came here to watch a manipulated race," sniped Alonso.

"We were running well, in third after a good start. Then the safety car came out, which wasn't too good for us. But Hamilton overtook the safety car, something I have never seen.

"We were a metre off each other, and he finished second and I finished ninth (speaking before a penalty to Sebastien Buemi elevated him to eighth).

"This race was to finish second. But here, when you do the normal thing, which is respecting the rules, you finish ninth, and the one who doesn't respect them finishes second."