Sunday 27 July at 17:08 : McLaren boss Ron Dennis has rubbished Sir Jackie Stewart's advice that Heikki Kovalainen must up his game in support of Lewis Hamilton's championship push in 2008.

Scot Stewart, a three time drivers' champion and former team owner, said earlier this weekend that championship leader Hamilton, 23, "has to be well supported by his teammate" as his fight with the Ferrari drivers continues over the final 8 races of 2008.

"Kovalainen has got to be able take a position away from a Ferrari driver," Stewart, 69, is quoted as saying by The Mirror.

But Dennis hit back by suggesting that Stewart, who still attends grands prix as an ambassador for Williams sponsor RBS, is out of touch with modern-day formula one.

"The fact is that Sir Jackie retired from motor racing in 1973, which is 35 years ago, and the sport has moved on in that time," he said on Sunday, according to the news agency Reuters.

Briton Dennis denies that the role of Kovalainen, 26, is to drive in support of his McLaren teammate.

"Jackie's suggestion that Lewis' world championship campaign depends on Heikki's assistance presupposes that Heikki's task is to drive in support of Lewis -- and that simply isn't the case," he said.