Alonso posturing sparks anger.

Fernando Alonso's victory salute after the Bahrain Grand Prix may have gone unnoticed - or unrecognised - by many, but did not escape the attention of Indian MP Maneka Gandhi, who has accused the Spaniard of glorifying animal abuse.

Speaking on behalf of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals organisation, Gandhi - an ardent defender of animal rights - fired off a letter to the reigning world champion, urging him to stop mimicking the actions of a matador confronting a bull while celebrating his victories, claiming that bullfighting is a 'crude, cruel and cowardly spectacle'.

"The torment of a living being, and his subsequent repeated stabbing and often slow death, as well as the removal of his ears, is barbaric and no longer acceptable by any humane standards," Gandhi wrote, "Even in Spain, awareness is growing fast, and some towns have already banned this crude, cruel and cowardly spectacle."

The MP quoted a study that claimed at least 20 per cent of bulls are drugged before they step into the ring, while others are deliberately debilitated days before a fight to give them little chance of survival.