FORMULA ONE

• FIA monitor to watch McLaren treatment of drivers

  
  

  Sao Paulo, Brazil (Sports Network) - With the Formula One World Championship on the line this weekend, the FIA, F1's governing body, has approved the use of a monitor to ensure that McLaren treats both rookie Lewis Hamilton and two- time World Champion Fernando Alonso equally.

  Despite assurances from McLaren that the drivers would be treated the same, the Spanish Motorsport Federation requested the move because of the "cool" relationship between Spaniard Alonso and McLaren boss Ron Dennis.

  Hamilton and Alonso have also had a strained relationship after Alonso said earlier this season that the Englishman was getting preferential treatment.

  Then in qualifying at Hungary, Alonso delayed leaving the pit box so that Hamilton would have one less qualifying lap. The flap caused the FIA to remove Alonso from the pole giving it to Hamilton. The team also lost all constructor points for the race.

  In mid-September, McLaren was fined $100 million and stripped of all constructor points for the season after a "spying" scandal involving Ferrari. Part of the problem between Dennis and Alonso came from the driver's testimony at the hearing.

  Hamilton (107 points) leads the drivers championship, but his margin is just four points over Alonso (103) and seven points over Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen (100) with one race remaining. If Alonso wins the race, Hamilton must finish second to clinch the title. If Raikkonen wins, he must have Hamilton finish no better than sixth and Alonso no better than third.

  The final race of the season, the Brazilian Grand Prix, is scheduled to drop the green flag on Sunday at 1 p.m. (et).

  10/18 16:57:57 ET