Video: Watch the incident, then have your say

Lewis Hamilton will find out today whether he is to be demoted on the grid for the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, or worse, lose his ten points for winning in Fuji last weekend, over claims that he drove erratically behind the safety car in Japan.

After new video footage taken by a Japanese fan in the grandstand emerged of a crash involving Mark Webber, the Red Bull driver, and Sebastian Vettel, of the Toro Rosso team, on lap 46 of a chaotic race at the Fuji Speedway, there were fears that Hamilton could pay dearly for his apparent role in the incident.

The crash happened immediately behind Hamilton, who was leading the field during the second of two safety car periods in heavy rain, and the stewards in Shanghai are investigating Hamilton’s driving amid claims that his sudden deceleration ahead of Webber and Vettel caused the crash.

This latest threat to Hamilton’s charge to World Championship glory came as Fernando Alonso, his bitter rival at McLaren Mercedes, gave the impression at an FIA press conference in Shanghai that he believes the team are doctoring his race car to ensure that Hamilton wins the title.

Alonso, who crashed in Japan and is 12 points behind Hamilton with just this weekend’s race in Shanghai and the Brazilian Grand Prix in two weeks to come, was asked whether he believes he was treated in a fair way by McLaren last weekend or whether “the team favour Lewis by making subtle changes to your car, like tyre pressures or wing settings”. Alonso, who has complained all season that McLaren favour Hamilton over him, made no attempt to deny the claim. “Difficult question,” he said, pausing for emphasis. “I will not answer.” No one who heard him could be in any doubt what his intended meaning was and indeed Spanish journalists close to Alonso said that he has been stating as much privately for some time.

The inquiry into Hamilton’s driving in Japan came as a shock to McLaren, who were said to be astonished that Hamilton could be implicated in the crash between Webber and Vettel.

Tight rules govern driving behind the safety car, with Hamilton, as the leader, required to keep within five car lengths of it at all times while not driving unnecessarily slowly or erratically or in a way that is “deemed potentially dangerous to other drivers”.

The case against Hamilton is that after he got close to the safety car going into the chicane at Fuji, he suddenly slowed and veered to the right, causing Vettel, who was third, to mistake him for retiring. In terrible visibility, the 20-year-old German rookie accelerated into the back of Webber, who was braking, putting them both out of the race. Vettel was demoted ten places on the grid for this weekend’s grand prix, a penalty that Toro Rosso are seeking to have overturned.

Webber was outspoken in his criticism of Hamilton yesterday. “I think he did a s*** job behind the safety car,” the Australian, who had been on course for his best race finish, said. “He [Hamilton] spoke in the drivers’ briefing [before the race] about how good a job he was going to do, and then he did the job the opposite way, so we know for next time.”

At McLaren the view was that Hamilton drove within the rules and it was pointed out that neither the safety car driver nor the race director made any complaint about his conduct during or after the race.