Feb.27 (GMM) Fernando Alonso says he is still not convinced about the recent racism scandal involving some of his fanatical Spanish countrymen and Lewis Hamilton.

The Spaniard was asked by the radio station Cadena SER if he thinks the affair was exaggerated in the press following his falling out with his former McLaren teammate last season.

"I think so," Alonso, who is 26, answered.

F1's governing body condemned the acts of bigotry at the Barcelona test earlier this month, threatening to deprive Spain of formula one and promising to launch an anti-racism campaign at the grand prix there in April.

But Alonso dismissed the group that blacked out their faces as overzealous revellers of 'Carnival', and now expresses scepticism about the apparent verbal taunts directed at Hamilton.

"If you don't know exactly what happened, it is difficult (to comment on)," the Renault driver said. "I have not seen any of that on video.

"If it turns out that it did happen, then of course it must be totally condemned," he added.

Alonso also makes a link between the abuse suffered by Hamilton in Barcelona, and the 23-year-old British driver's declaration one week earlier that he would be using Alonso's behaviour in 2007 as an example of "how not to behave" in F1.

"One week after he said that, he was in Spain," Alonso observed. "That is the other side of the situation. If you talk like that it is normal that things can happen."

Alonso also said his relationship with Hamilton has not changed since he left McLaren last year.

"It is the same as before -- non-existent," the Spaniard remarked.

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