Flav makes bid to keep Alonso

UPDATE (GMM) Team chiefs for both McLaren-Mercedes and Renault have added their rebuttals to rumors at Magny Cours that Fernando Alonso might be trying to wiggle out of his 2007 contract.

French TV network 'TF1' started the paddock rumble on Sunday, but Mercedes' Norbert Haug reacted that it is 'not right at all' that 24-year-old Alonso could still be wearing light blue overalls next year.

Germany's Sport-Informations-Dienst (sid) also quoted Pat Symonds, the engineering chief at Renault, as saying: ''I have no idea, but even if I did know, I would not say.''

07/16/06 (GMM) Renault boss Flavio Briatore has launched a late effort to try to retain the McLaren-bound services of Fernando Alonso.
The Spaniard is sailing to his second world championship for the blue and yellow squad, but at the end of the year is contracted to make the switch into silver.

But with McLaren struggling to produce race-winning pace at the moment, French media sources are reporting that Alonso is partaking in Briatore's enquiries as to whether the McLaren deal might be bought out.

Both camps are denying the story, but it is suggested that Alonso only signed the McLaren deal because Renault's commitment to formula one was uncertain at the end of last year.

The French carmaker has since signed up beyond 2008.