LONDON, June 21 - McLaren rookie Lewis Hamilton and double world champion team mate Fernando Alonso have agreed not to talk about each other in future unless both are present.

lewis Hamilton

Asked about reports that he had been muzzled by McLaren, eager to quash reports of increasing tension between their drivers after Hamilton's sensational debut, the 22-year-old Formula One championship leader said on Thursday that he and the Spaniard had an understanding.

"We get on really well," said Hamilton when asked to put the record straight at a news conference organised by sponsor Vodafone.

"Obviously him being Spanish, the media in Spain are trying to twist things and I think its the same with the British media," he said.

"We are very, very supportive of each other. Obviously we are very competitive, we both want to win but we have a great deal of respect for each other," he added. "We've never had a fallout.

"Even after I won at the weekend, he came up afterwards and said congratulations.

"It's just at the moment we feel it's better if we speak about each other when we are both there because he can read something in the papers that someone might have twisted that I have said," added Hamilton.

"I'd never make a negative comment about him because I've got a lot of respect for him and there's no need."

McLaren boss Ron Dennis told reporters at Indianapolis last weekend that measures had been taken to limit the possible distraction for drivers.

The Times newspaper interpreted this as the first restrictions being imposed on Hamilton's freedom: "The muzzle is being applied," it said.

Hamilton, returning to Britain as the country's youngest grand prix winner as well as championship leader, has triggered a surge of media interest with much of it focused on his relationship with Alonso.

The Spaniard has been clearly unsettled by the internal euphoria over Hamilton's success, saying this month that he was not completely comfortable at McLaren and suggesting that the Briton was being favoured.

"I try not to read too much into the papers. It's great to see there's a lot of good pictures in there and I just check if I'm looking good," said Hamilton.

"But in general I try not to focus too much on it. I've obviously seen how many newspapers I've been in and its a lot more than I ever expected.

"The more I come back, the more I get out my car at the petrol station and walk down the street, the more people are coming up to me," he said of the response to his meteoric rise to the top.