FIA condemns 'hateful' attacks on Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton has again been targeted by Spanish racists in the build-up to this weekend’s title-deciding Brazilian Grand Prix.

World governing body the FIA and Hamilton’s McLaren team have been quick to condemn a mindless "voodoo-style" website aimed at wrecking Hamilton’s championship dreams.

The 23-year-old goes into Sunday’s showdown needing only to finish in the top five at Interlagos to become the youngest champion in Formula One history.

But ahead of the race, racism is again threatening to overshadow the event as hundreds of abusive messages have been posted on a website in Spain.

The website carries the name "Pincha la Rueda de Hamilton", which translates as "Burst Hamilton’s Tyre".

Visitors to the site - 20,000 to date - are encouraged to drop imaginary nails, pins or porcupines on a mock-up of the Interlagos circuit.

A notice on the site reads: “Hamilton can’t finish the race. We have to stop him however we can. All you have to do is choose a spike, place it where you want on the circuit and hope he suffers a historic puncture.”

On leaving the website, an automated message informs visitors: “We hope Hamilton punctures - thanks to your help.”

However, it is the many comments which also feature on the site which have forced the FIA into issuing a strongly-worded statement of denunciation.

Earlier this year, the FIA launched their EveryRace campaign after Hamilton was the target of racist abuse at a test session in Barcelona.

An organisation spokesman today said: “The FIA’s position is very clear - discrimination and prejudice can have no place in sport or in society. Everyone in our sport will join us in condemning these abusive and hateful comments.”

A spokesman for Hamilton’s team added: “McLaren was one of the earliest supporters of the FIA’s ’EveryRace’ campaign, and we support that campaign still.

“We’ve seen today’s statement from an FIA spokesman, and we can only echo it.”

A minority of Spanish people have never forgiven Hamilton in the wake of his contentious run-in with their hero Fernando Alonso last season.

The two drivers suffered a serious fall-out at the Hungarian Grand Prix where Alonso threatened team boss Ron Dennis with divulging to the FIA all he knew in relation to the spy saga unless he was given number one status within the team.

It led to the 27-year-old’s release from his two-year contract at the end of the year and a return to Renault.

Today, though, Alonso has remarkably revealed his beef is not with Hamilton, but with McLaren.

“Things are not personal with Lewis,” insisted Alonso. “I have said many times I have great respect for Lewis and we do speak together. Last year was the same.

“When we were in the drivers’ room, we spoke and there were no problems. But I think I will always prefer any team, other than McLaren, to win.”