War of words as Hamilton accuses Alonso of 'sour grapes'

A new war of words is threatening to break out between former sparring partners Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

Alonso was furious after Sunday's European grand prix, when Hamilton overtook the safety car but still managed to finish second after serving a drive-through penalty.

"Even a child knows you cannot overtake the safety car, especially after an accident as serious as Webber's," the Spaniard fumed, according to the El Pais newspaper.

His 2007 McLaren teammate Hamilton, however, accused Alonso of "sour grapes", suggesting his bad mood was made worse by being overtaken by the Sauber of Japanese rookie Kamui Kobayashi.