Formula One news

Blame rests with drivers - Dennis

McLaren team principal Ron Dennis says his team's punishment has come out of the fact that the plans his team had in place for qualifying were not followed to the letter. The team reported the whole sequence of events was triggered when Lewis Hamilton refused to let Alonso past at the start of qualifying as was planned.

"Everything that came out of qualifying is just linked to our policy of equality," Dennis insisted. "It's just so difficult to convince drivers they have equal equipment and we work to the best of our ability to give them the same opportunity.

"Clearly when things don't go as you planned there's a reason," Dennis added. "If the plans we put in place were properly executed we'd have both cars on the front of the grid and we wouldn't be faced with the loss of constructors' points. We put ourselves in that position."

Dennis went on to say this wouldn't be the end of the matter. "At the end of the day we'll consider carefully after the weekend the best way forward," he concluded.

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