Feb.6 (GMM) Norbert Haug, competition director for McLaren's engine partner Mercedes-Benz, has publicly backed the outfit's besieged British driver, Lewis Hamilton.

The German said the racial abuse directed at Fernando Alonso's 2007 McLaren teammate is totally unprovoked.

"Lewis did absolutely nothing to Fernando," Haug is quoted as saying by the German newspaper Bild.

"The Spanish must quickly do everything they can to prevent these sorts of things from happening again," he added.

To the news agency SID, Haug referred to the 2008 Spanish grand prix at Barcelona, scene of the recent testing incidents: "I really hope this is no longer an issue when we go there to race in April.

"Today, it was Lewis Hamilton, tomorrow it could be someone else.

"The only thing Lewis did to Alonso was fairly and squarely challenge him, and sometimes beat him, on the race track," he said.