Lewis Hamilton remained defiant despite Formula One's world championship being blown wide open on Sunday afterhe dramatically slid into a gravel trap in the Chinese Grand Prix, while Kimi Raikkonen snatched victory for Ferrari.

Hamilton went into the pits for a badly-needed change of tyres on lap 31 but could not stop himself sliding into the gravel at the side of the track. It was his first retirement of the season.

"I'm sorry for the team but I can still do it, don't worry," Hamilton said. "When I got out of the car I was just gutted because it was my first mistake all year and to do it on the way into the pits was not something I usually do.

"You cannot go through life without making mistakes. But I am over it and we look forward to Brazil. The team will be working hard to make sure the car is quick enough there, and we still have points in the bag.

"The tyres were getting worse and worse and you could almost see the canvas underneath. When I came into the pits it was like ice, I couldn't do anything about it," he added.

Hamilton had controlled the race from pole until his intermediate tyres suddenly became un-drivable in the changing track conditions caused by the on-off rain.

He was lapping over six seconds slower than his rivals having already lost the lead to Raikkonen when the Finn darted inside two laps earlier. But Hamilton knew that second place was enough to guarantee his place in history because of his 12 point lead.

He will now have to recover his mental strength for the final race in Sao Paulo knowing that his two more experienced rivals will have been boosted after being handed the miracle they needed.

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren's Chief Operating Officer, said the team were responsible for Hamilton's premature exit.

"In hindsight we left him out a lap too long. His tyres were very worn. It was our decision," he said. "We were getting weather information all the time. We didn't want to come in and get on the wrong tyre."

The sport's first black driver watched the rest of the race from the pit-wall as Raikkonen led home Alonso to claim the 14th victory of his career.

"We are back in the championship and it will be interesting in the final race," said Raikkonen. "Hopefully the car is good and it will be a battle all weekend. It is not just up to us though, we saw today that anything can happen, but we are back in the championship."

Double world champion Alonso had looked a beaten man after qualifying fourth but now finds his bid to become only the third man to win a hat-trick of titles still alive.

"The result was good today and the eight points are a help for sure," Alonso said. "I think the championship will still be very difficult because I know it will not be easy to take four points from Lewis.

"I need something dramatic if I want to win. With a normal race it will be impossible."

It will be the first time since 1986 that three drivers go into the final round of the season still in contention for the drivers' crown. Frenchman Alain Prost triumphed that momentous final day in Adelaide after Nigel Mansell's tyre blew in spectacular fashion and his team-mate Nelson Piquet was called into the pits.