Watch the crash footage on the Formula One blog

Lewis Hamilton will find out on Saturday whether his bid to win the world championship will suffer a serious blow after it was confirmed the McLaren driver is under investigation for his role in the crash that forced Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel out of the Japanese Grand Prix.

If found guilty, Hamilton could lose the ten championship points he earned for his victory in Japan, which would reduce his lead over nearest rival Alonso to just two points with two races to go.

But given the fact Vettel was handed a ten-place grid penalty for this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix for his part in the incident, a similar punishment would seem more likely for the Brit.

An FIA official said: "We understand the stewards of the meeting have received new evidence and are looking into the relevant matter. It would be inappropriate for us to comment any further at this particular stage, in particular as to what penalty, if any, might be imposed."

The evidence is believed to be footage from video website YouTube, which was filmed from the grandstands at Fuji. It appears to show Hamilton decelerating dramatically on the right of the track, forcing Webber to slow down and catch Vettel unaware.

It is thought Hamilton has already met a three-man panel of stewards at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. They are believed to be deliberating on what action to take over the incident.

The world championship leader was accused by Webber, the Red Bull driver, of causing his crash with Vettel, of Toro Rosso , by speeding up and slowing down behind the safety car and the Australian was in no doubt Hamilton's behaviour on the Fuji Speedway circuit contributed to the accident.

"I think he did a s*** job behind the safety car," Webber said. "He did a s*** job and that's it. He spoke in the driver's briefing about how good a job he was going to do and he did the opposite. But we know for next time.

"It definitely contributed to Sebastian hitting me up the back. We were confused what the other car was doing because it wasn't doing what it was supposed to do, clearly.

"You have to try to keep a sensible rhythm behind the safety car and in the second stage there wasn't a sensible rhythm when the lights were on. The pace was yo-yoing around massively and I think we know what pace the safety car can do."

Vettel also felt Hamilton's behaviour contributed to the accident, although he refused to blame him outright. "As a human being, you react to movement and all of a sudden I saw Lewis pulling far to the right and slowing down a lot," Vettel said. "I was wondering what happened to him. I already thought he was retiring because he was going so slow and by the time I looked back, I was already in Mark's rear.

"It was my fault that I crashed into Mark's car, I'm not here to blame anybody, but I think it's clear the rhythm wasn't there."

The first 19 laps of the race were also completed behind the safety car due to the appalling conditions and fellow Briton Jenson Button was not impressed with Hamilton's behaviour during the first stint either. "It felt really inconsistent," the Honda driver said. "I don't know what he was doing really. We came through the last section and he kept slowing down.

"We knew the safety car wasn't coming in and he kept hitting the brakes hard in the last sector so everyone would bunch up, and then he would shoot off and brake again.

"I don't know why. It was quite strange but it normally only happened in the last sector. He kept braking and accelerating in the last sector and I was fourth so I don't know what it was like for the people further back. Everyone knew the safety car wasn't coming in."

Fernando Alonso agreed with Webber and Vettel's assertion that Hamilton was guilty of dangerous driving. The Spaniard, who has had a rocky relationship with his McLaren team-mate this season, believes Hamilton could have handled the situation differently.

"I also overtook Lewis two or three times, so it seems that we all agree," Alonso said. "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."

Formula One regulations state the leader must keep within five metres of the safety car, while erratic driving can also be punished.

Article 40.10 of the Formula One Sporting Regulations reads: "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."