While Lewis Hamilton and McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso yesterday battled for pole position for today’s Italian Grand Prix, Italian police said they had served writs on five McLaren employees, including team boss Ron Dennis.

In the real event, McLaren fended off Ferrari on the track, with Alonso taking pole ahead of Hamilton.

Off track, Ron Dennis has vowed to clear his team of any wrongdoing at a hearing of the World Motor Sports Council in Paris on Thursday. Now they may have to defend themselves in the Italian courts as well.

Formula One seems to be morphing from grand prix to grand farce.

Lewis Hamilton looked like coming home in third place in a Turkish Grand Prix where his car could not keep pace with the flying Ferraris. That hope disappeared when a tyre blew with 15 laps to go.

In the event Felipe Massa, who drove to a second consecutive victory at this track, was second and Kimi Raikkonen, also in a Ferrari, third.

Hamilton said, “I had no warning, I went off and almost hit the barrier. The wheel just locked up and I was very lucky to get the car stopped. I tried to keep going, but the tyre got worse and worse. I reached Turn 12 and the car wouldn’t steer. I got to the pitlane and almost hit the wall. It was a real fight and I was relieved to get it back.”

Typically he kept his head and returned to the race after a pit stop. He was later overtaken by team-mate Fernando Alonso, but remains ahead in the Drivers’ World Championship.

Top Ten in Turkish Grand Prix
1, F Massa (Br, Ferrari) 1min 26:42.161sec
2, K Raikkonen (Fin, Ferrari) at 2.275sec behind
3, F Alonso (Sp, McLaren Mercedes) 26.181
4, N Heidfeld (Ger, BMW Sauber) 39.674
5, L Hamilton (GB, McLaren Mercedes) 45.085
6, H Kovalainen (Fin, Renault) 46.169
7, N Rosberg (Ger, Williams Toyota) 55.778
8, R Kubica (Pol, BMW Sauber) 56.707
9, G Fisichella (It, Renault) 59.491
10, D Coulthard (GB, Red Bull Renault) 1min 11.009sec.

After all the shenanigans in the pits during qualifying, which saw teammate Fernando Alonso relegated to sixth on the grid, Lewis Hamilton eased his way to victory in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

We understand that Alonso has been told by team chief Ron Dennis that he’s free to leave McLaren at the end of the season.

Hamilton has now opened an eight point lead in the Drivers’ Championship ahead of the Spaniard.

In the race itself, which he led from start to finish, Hamilton, just 22, showed a steadiness of nerve from the moment the lights went out all the way to the chequered flag.

Through the 70 lap race, he had Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari in his mirrors waiting for a slip that would allow him to pass. It didn’t come. Less than a second apart for most of the race, it was a real test of concentration and belief for Hamilton, which he passed with flying colours. At the finish, the margin was just 0.7seconds.

Six races left, and Hamilton still looks good for the title in his opening F1 season.

Is Lewis Hamilton’s dismal run of luck improving at last? Yet another dramatic scenario unfolded yesterday in the qualifying stage of today’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Times (London) reports : “Fernando Alonso was sensationally stripped of his pole position for the Hungarian Grand Prix late last night and saw it handed to McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton. The Spaniard was docked five places on today’s starting grid after he deliberately held up the emerging British superstar in yesterday’s final qualifying session.”

It seems that McLaren will also be stripped of any points won in the constructors’ world championship from today’s race.