McLaren Wouldn't Let Raikkonen Test with Ferrari

Ron Dennis pushed for Fernando Alonso's early test debut but did not allow Kimi Raikkonen to similarly drive before Christmas, according to a report in the Spanish press.

The newspaper El Mundo Deportivo claims that while Raikkonen seemed unbothered about whether or not he would win an early release from his McLaren contract, Ferrari chiefs actually did ask their McLaren counterparts for clearance for a 2006 test.

"Ron Dennis did not give his approval," the Spanish nationwide daily sports newspaper read.

El Mundo Deportivo quoted Dennis, Woking based McLaren's chairman, as recently saying that negotiations for Alonso's release from his Renault contract would likely differ from the talks with Ferrari.

The Briton reportedly said: "(That is) because the relationship between McLaren-Mercedes and Renault is very different to the relationship between McLaren and Ferrari."