London, Oct. 5 : Maclaren’s British Formula One ace driver Lewis Hamilton could face a points' deduction and wreck his dream of winning the Formula One title in his debut year because of erratic driving.

A YouTube clip filmed on a mobile phone by a spectator apparently shows the 22-year-old prodigy driving erratically during his last race. Hamilton is seen slowing down inexplicably, apparently causing two drivers behind him to crash.

According to the Daily Mail, the incident happened during Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix while a safety car was on the track to slow the drivers down in appalling weather.

This caused Mark Webber, to brake suddenly and for the Australian's Red Bull car to be shunted by a Torro Rosso driven by Sebastian Vettel of Germany.

Both men were forced to withdraw from the race and have been critical of Hamilton's actions before the collision.

The footage, which has been seen by thousands on the YouTube website, has now been brought to the attention of race officials who are investigating whether Hamilton broke Formula One rules.

If Hamilton is found guilty, he could lose the ten championship points he was awarded for winning the race. That would reduce his lead in the drivers' table to a nerve-jangling two points with two races remaining.
It is not known who posted the footage on the Internet and it is no longer accessible online.

Hamilton, from Stevenage in Hertfordshire, has had a sensational debut season. He finished in the top three in his first nine races and has won four of the 15 Grand Prix held so far.

Formula One rules state that the leading driver must stay within five lengths of the safety car and not brake or accelerate suddenly.

Hamilton's nearest challenger in the title race is Fernando Alonso, his McLaren teammate who crashed out of the race in Japan. The pair have had a tempestuous season with the two-time world champion from Spain seeming ill at ease with the young pretender.

Alonso is the sport's youngest champion, claiming victory in 2005 at the age of 25.

Instead of a points’ deduction, officials may decide to push Hamilton ten places back in the grid for this weekend's race at the Shanghai International Circuit in China.

It is believed Formula One chiefs have already held a meeting with him to discuss the incident. They are expected to announce any action tomorrow. (With inputs from ANI)