Alonso Has His Say As Hamilton's Title Hopes Are Hit By Driving Charge

Fernando Alonso has joined in the condemnation of his McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton's tactics during last week's Japanese grand prix, which could deal a blow to the British driver's hopes of winning the world championship.

Hamilton is being investigated for his part in a crash between the Red Bull driver Mark Webber and Sebastien Vettel of Toro Rosso behind the safety car on lap 45 of last weekend's 67-lap race. The incident put both drivers out of the race and Hamilton has been fiercely criticized by Webber for constantly braking and accelerating in the final section of the Fuji Speedway.

Hamilton won the race to move 12 points clear of last year's champion Alonso with two races left, and could clinch the title in the Chinese grand prix in Shanghai on Sunday. But if he is found guilty of causing the collision he could lose the 10 points for the win, although it is more likely he would suffer a 10-place grid penalty.

"I also overtook Lewis two or three times, so it seems that we all agree," said Alonso. "It's difficult to know what the car in front of you needs to do. I didn't see the race on TV but, hearing the comments of the drivers, they seemed to overtake the car in front a couple of times and had to make some unnecessary manoeuvres to avoid the cars in front."

Although the incident was missed by television cameras it is believed new evidence, thought to be footage on you tube filmed from the Fuji grandstand, shows Hamilton pulling over to the right-hand side of the track and decelerating considerably prior to the collision. "It definitely contributed to Sebastian hitting me up the back, because Hamilton wasn't doing what he was supposed to be doing," said Webber. "He spoke in the drivers' meeting about how good a job he was going to do and did the opposite. Still, we know for next time. He did a shit job."

Formula one regulations state that the race leader must keep a constant distance behind the safety car until the lap before it is due to return to the pits. They add: "The safety car shall be used at least until the leader is behind it and all remaining cars are lined up behind him. Once behind the safety car, the race leader must keep within five car lengths of it."

The Toro Rosso team principal, Franz Tost, said he approached the race stewards in China to complain about Hamilton's tactics after being made aware of the you tube video. "You could see clearly that Hamilton slows down quite unexpectedly," said Tost. "Look at the video. Sebastian would have had to have gone between the cars [Webber and Hamilton] and there was no chance. It was totally unexpected. It looked like Hamilton was stopping, that is why I went to the stewards."