Grapevine: McLaren: no doubt of Alonso move

Alonso committed to McLaren for 2007 at the end of last season, at a time when the Woking-based team looked set to build on the momentum of their 2005 campaign where they had come close to winning the championship.

But the subsequent disappointing form this season, allied to the recent troubles with Juan Pablo Montoya, led to rumours at the French Grand Prix that Alonso is now questioning whether he has made the right choice in quitting Renault.

McLaren F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh has made it clear, however, that he does not believe there is any issue over Alonso's future - and that the contract they have with the driver is solid.

"I don't think we do a shabby job with contracts generally," he said when asked by autosport.com about the rumours surrounding Alonso's contract.

"I think we have got a reasonable contract and the rumours that I heard was that an Italian gentleman was trying to get him to consider a breach of that.

"Firstly I don't think he wants to, and two I think our contracts are usually pretty solid."

Although high-level sources insist that Alonso and his Renault boss Flavio Briatore have discussed the possibility of him being bought out of the McLaren contract and remaining at his current team, Whitmarsh has made it clear that he has had absolutely no indication of a change of heart by the world champion.

"Not at all," he said. "In fact, it's quite the opposite. I think Fernando is a solid straightforward individual who has made a choice.

"At the moment he wants to win the world championship this year and next year and that means we have got to work together and do a good job."

Briatore himself has also moved to down play the suggestions that he is looking at a way of getting Alonso out of his contract.

"I don't know where this rumour is coming from," he said. "I don't know what you are talking about. This is a kind of Halloween joke, you know.

"I don't push anybody to sign and I never push anybody to break a contract. I do absolutely nothing."

But when asked whether he could make an absolute denial of the story, he said: "I never said that."

And, when pushed about whether Alonso had spoken to him about the situation, Briatore responded: "Not really."