Alonso points finger at McLaren

Alonso disclosed the information after a written request from the ruling FIA ordered him to explain what he knew following a mysterious tip-off that he could shed crucial new light on the murky affair.

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Sportsmail understands that Alonso — and McLaren's test driver Pedro de la Rosa — revealed they were in receipt of emails concerning Ferrari technical secrets, which had been passed to them by the team's disgraced chief designer Mike Coughlan.

The information dates back to the start of the season in March, extending the timescale of the saga beyond late April when Coughlan is already known to have received a 780-page Ferrari dossier from the Italian team's former chief mechanic, Nigel Stepney.

The intelligence provided by Alonso and fellow Spaniard De la Rosa will form the basis of Thursday's World Motor Sport Council hearing in Paris, which could even result in McLaren being thrown out of the championship.

Such an outcome casts a shadow over Sunday's Italian Grand Prix and Briton Hamilton's remarkable quest to become the first rookie to win the world title.

A heavy fine and the docking of points are other possible outcomes.

The precise details of the emails are unclear, but it appears that they relate to Ferrari's car set-up.

That would mean McLaren could have gained a performance advantage in their own car — flying in the face of their previous denials.

Double world champion Alonso, who is unsettled by his treatment at McLaren as Hamilton outscores him, is expected to claim that he had no choice but to comply with the FIA's invitation to respond, though why they thought to question him in the first place remains a moot point.

The approach was made last week, with letters also sent to several team principals and the three McLaren drivers.

Hamilton submitted his version of events without providing any damaging facts.

That is perfectly compatible with Alonso's revelations, given that Hamilton was unaware of the sensitive emails.

It appears Coughlan first involved De la Rosa in his web of intrigue because they were close friends dating back to their time together at Arrows in the late Nineties, with Alonso becoming aware of them.

Neither driver was allowed to speak about the controversy in a press conference at Monza yesterday, while team principal Ron Dennis also declined to comment on the allegations.

However, Hamilton, who leads Alonso by five points going into the closing five races of the season with Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen 15 and 16 points adrift respectively,firmly believes that McLaren will be cleared and he turned the focus on rivals Ferrari.

Asked if winning here in Italy would be a psychological advantage, he said: "Definitely. That's been the target for the whole team. That's why they have pushed so hard.

"Beating Ferrari on their home ground has got to be a huge blow to their whole team and that would make our team extremely happy.

"For me, it would be a great feeling to do that because of what they are putting the team through.

"Ferrari are looking the most innocent team ever and I don't think that's the case. I know my team, I know the people here and I think we are being unfairly treated.

"So we want to do our talking on the track.

"We are the stronger team altogether, not just with the car but as a whole team — back at the factory and the team here."