Lewis Hamilton’s chances of clinching the 2007 world championship suffered a serious blow in China after he lost control in the pit lane entry on lap 31.

Polesitter Hamilton had led the race in commanding fashion in damp and greasy conditions until the intermediate tyres on his McLaren started to degrade badly.

Rather than bringing him in for new rubber, McLaren elected to keep Hamilton out on track in case the weather turned and he found himself on the wrong tyres.

But the result was that the set of inters he was on became increasingly worn – down to the canvas on the right-rear – allowing Kimi Raikkonen to close onto his tail.

The Ferrari driver snatched the lead on lap 29 and Hamilton immediately lost touch, scrabbling around the corners with a car that looked undriveable.

He finally made for the pits two and a half laps later, but as he rounded the 90-degree left-hand bend in the entry lane, slid off and came to an ignominious stop in the gravel.

Although he kept the engine running, the rear wheels dug into the gravel and Hamilton’s race was over.

"The tyres were finished," told ITV Sport's Louise Goodman.

"These sort of things happen."