MONZA (Italy) - FERNANDO Alonso has angrily denied claims he deliberately set out to damage his McLaren team by suppying information to the sport's ruling body, the International Motoring Federation (FIA).

Spain's double world champion had been accused of doing so by many in and close to the team by supplying information about his e-mail exchanges with the team's test driver and fellow Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa to the FIA.

The FIA requested the information to assist them in their investigation into the so-called 'spy story' which has implicated both drivers.

The FIA said on Friday they are investigating claims that a dossier containing secret information about Ferrari's tyre and car set-ups had found its way to McLaren.

According to reports the secret dossier found its way to Alonso, via McLaren team test driver De la Rosa.

Alonso said, 'I've been unfairly treated by the papers. I did not accuse the team, I just replied to the FIA with honesty and professionalism.'

He told the Gazzetta dello Sport, 'It's stupid to think that I might have replied to the FIA in order to damage the team, as I would do nothing, but damage myself. You must not forget I'm fighting for the championship.'

He added, 'The FIA sent that letter to all the drivers, asking if we had anything on this matter. It was our duty to reply, by sending what we had. There was no other choice. I hope everyone understands that. Effects on the championship? We've lived with this story for two months and we've seen that there have never been repercussions on the race track.'

The FIA is to hear the latest evidence in the saga at a meeting of its world motor sport council in Paris on Thursday. McLaren are alleged to have been in receipt of a dossier of secret Ferrari technical information that may have been used to improve their own car and performance.

Many paddock observers were on Saturday digesting further claims that all sorts of further information was due to be provided also by Italian authorities, including the Polizia Postale e delle Comunicazioni.

It has been suggested that this evidence claims to have noted 'hundreds' of telephone and SMS contacts between suspended McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan and his old friend, dismissed ?rogue? Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney.

After making no previous comment, the FIA on Saturday rejected claims that it is engaged in a witch-hunt against McLaren boss Ron Dennis who has clashed many times in the past with the FIA president Max Mosley.

An FIA spokesman insisted the FIA was acting solely in the interests of the sport.

'This inquiry was triggered by a letter of complaint from Ferrari which was, in turn, triggered by the extraordinary discovery of 780 pages of their most confidential technical information in the hands of McLaren's chief designer,' the spokesman said.

In comments made to The Times, he added, 'Under the circumstances, the suggestion that the FIA's ongoing investigation is about anything other than the pursuit of sporting fairness demonstrates a blinding refusal to accept the basic facts.' -- AFP