Britain's Lewis Hamilton took a massive step towards winning the World Championship today in a rain-lashed Japanese Grand Prix as title rival Fernando Alonso crashed out.

The McLaren-Mercedes driver, who would be the first rookie to win the title, leads the standings by 12 points with two races left after seeing teammate and the reigning double champion Alonso smash into a wall 42 laps into the chaotic 67-lap race.

Hamilton won by more than eight seconds from Finland’s Heikki Kovalainen, who finished on the podium for the first time in his Renault career, with Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen third.

Hamilton survived being knocked off the track mid-way through the race to claim the fourth victory of his maiden season.

He said: “It was a very eventful race. I collided with Robert (Kubica). I could not see in my mirrors, my visor was all fogged up and could not see he was inside and I was fortunate to finish.”