Bitter-sweet victory for defiant McLaren

After a weekend beset by politics, court papers and talk of vendettas, it was a fitting climax for the team's principal Ron Dennis and the British prodigy, in front of the Ferrari-mad tifosi flooding the track under the rostrum.

Moments earlier Dennis wept in the arms of his wife, Lisa. Pleasure at McLaren's first-ever one-two at the Italian Grand Prix was given dramatic expression by the strain of the controversy that has scarred the weekend's visit to this motor racing mecca.

"We said on the track what we had to say," Dennis declared in a rare moment of happiness. "It's been challenging," he added with understatement, alluding to the World Motor Sport Council hearing in Paris on Thursday and what has become a criminal investigation in Italy.

In a statement, McLaren said: "We did receive some contact from the Italian authorities on Saturday but were not charged with anything. We strongly suspect that the nature and timing of this wholly unnecessary contact, just before the start of qualifying was to disrupt our preparation for this important session and Thursday's hearing.

"McLaren is completely confident that were any proceedings of this type ever to be brought we would be completely exonerated."

It marked the start of a fightback in the spying row. It seems improbable that they can escape censure next week if their car is found to have been advantaged by Ferrari secrets. However, the vilification of Dennis has a poisonous taste to it.

It was a mixed afternoon for Hamilton. He shared Dennis's relief at hitting back in style, saying: "It would be great for us to win the drivers' and constructors' titles to show that even with these problems nothing can bring us down. We're unstoppable."

Just as Hamilton was unstoppable in charging past Kimi Raikkonen at the first chicane on lap 43, pushing the Finn out of the way and dashing through bravely to ensure the Ferrari racer finished behind him.

However, Alonso's fourth victory of the season reduces the Spaniard's deficit to Hamilton to a slender three points with four races remaining. The double world champion might be causing trouble behind the scenes at the team but he is typically strong behind the wheel.

He dominated all weekend, driving from pole to take a comfortable win, his first at Monza. Hamilton knows he must stay focused. "I've been in this situation loads of times (in other categories) and I'm pretty confident," he said.

"It probably means quite a lot more than it would to any other driver because it's my rookie year and I definitely didn't expect to be challenging for the world championship or leading it."

Was Alonso pleased for the team? He side-stepped the issue and instead lingered on how pleased he was for himself.

He said: "It was the perfect weekend for me. Sometimes everything seems to go in the right direction. Now I have to keep the momentum going."

There was only a cursory embrace between the Spaniard and his boss. The body language underlined that one of Dennis's myriad problems is close to home.

As for the Ferraris they are drifting ever further into the rear view mirror going into Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix. Raikkonen is 18 points adrift of the lead while his team-mate Felipe Massa, who did not finish because of an early suspension problem, is surely out of the picture, 23 short of the summit.

The Scuderia's best hope of glory surely rests with the 25 Council members meeting at the Place de la Concorde.

Raikkonen said: "We were not really quick enough. We were keen to win in front of out own fans but it wasn't to be."

Hamilton's fellow British driver David Coulthard survived a dramatic smash on the second lap, flying across the sand and hitting a tyre barrier hard. The safety car was employed for four laps but thankfully the Red Bull driver walked away unscathed.

He said: "I touched the back of Giancarlo Fisichella's car. I went straight off the track and it was the end of my weekend."

Jenson Button drove impressively to score only his second point of the season in his struggling Honda, coming in eighth.

However, the spotlight was off the track, just as when Michael Schumacher announced his retirement here a year ago. Tears were shed.

Then, a great champion was lost to the sport. But leaving Monza this week you felt the danger of even more being surrendered: what is left of Formula One's integrity.

All eyes are on Paris and the stakes are high.