Whitmarsh laughs at Alonso return rumours

Martin Whitmarsh on Friday laughed as he played down wild rumours that Fernando Alonso might be set to return to McLaren.

Although the Spaniard is expected to move to Ferrari, we reported this week that McLaren may have made a last ditch bid to convince sponsor Santander to stay put by asking if Alonso returning to McLaren might change their mind.

Asked about the rumour by BBC's Five Live radio, McLaren team boss Whitmarsh laughed as he began saying: "I don't think he'll be coming back here quite so soon. I haven't spoken to Fernando or his management."

Alonso fell out spectacularly before departing McLaren mid-contract at the end of 2007, but Whitmarsh said recently that one of the biggest regrets of his career is not making the union work.

According to the new rumour, the situation may be vastly different now that Ron Dennis is no longer boss.

"As Whitmarsh has said, it was no single person's fault, I guess it was everyone's fault (what happened in 2007)," Alonso told the Spanish newspaper AS at Spa.

"As I said when I left, I prefer to finish fourth or fifth with Renault than to win with McLaren and not enjoy it," he added.