Alonso accuses Renault of not backing title push

Fernando Alonso last night accused his Renault team-mates of not wanting him to win his second world title because he will move to Formula One rivals McLaren next season.

Alonso was quoted in Spanish media saying Renault were interested only in winning the constructors' title rather than helping him to retain the drivers' championship he won last year.

He said of his finishing second behind Michael Schumacher in Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix: "The whole team is gutted, apart from the handful of people who don't want me to take the No 1 to McLaren."

Schumacher's win gave him the lead for the first time in the 2006 title chase, even though he is level with Alonso on 116 points since the German has seven wins to the Spaniard's six as they head into the final two races of the Formula One season, starting in Japan this weekend and culminating in Brazil on 22 October.

A Renault spokesman said last night: "This is not an issue. We are 150 per cent behind Fernando in his battle for the championship.

"The points situation is so tight that to win the constructors' championship you've got to be sure of winning the drivers' championship and vice versa.

"There is no problem at all with relations between him [Alonso] and the team."

Alonso was on course to win in Shanghai at the weekend until an error over tyre change allowed Schumacher to claim victory.