MCLAREN: BOOZE & YOU LOSE

[davewilson]

FERNANDO ALONSO and Lewis Hamilton have been hit with a drinking ban for the coming season as McLaren go for gold.

New Brit star Hamilton and world champ Alonso provide an exciting line-up for the Woking-based team and have been undergoing winter fitness training in Finland from former Olympic athletes.

But McLaren bosses have warned them to stay clear of the booze - except on the podium.


Team chief Ron Dennis said: "Athletes train under very strict regimes in an attempt to win gold and don't get the rewards Grand Prix drivers generally do.


"We don't see why drivers need to have even one drink in the course of a season." McLaren were unhappy after controversies in the last two years surrounded the drinking antics of Kimi Raikkonen, who has now moved to Ferrari.


Dennis refused to criticise the Finn but, with a £100million title sponsorship deal from Vodafone and unparalleled backing from Mercedes, he and the McLaren hierarchy are determined nothing will prevent them returning to winning ways in 2007.


Vodafone-McClaren have already sent drivers and engineers on a boot camp in Finland to sharpen their reflexes.


New signing Hamilton, 22, said: "It was a great experience.


"We were even shown how to throw a javelin, it was interesting to learn the technical stuff. It was a good team-bonding exercise with engineers and other drivers.


"This is not just about me, it's about the whole team developing and us developing together if we are going to win."


And Alonso, aiming to be the youngest driver to win three successive titles, vowed: "I have only one goal and that is to become champion."

 The Stig

[Dare]

  Being around Dennis would would kead to drinking

[davewilson]

He is a bit like the Alex Ferguson of the F1 world,without the results though.

The Stig