MP wants action over 'racist' website

Foreign Secretary David Miliband has been urged to make a formal protest to the Spanish government over the racist abuse of Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton.

World governing body the FIA and Hamilton's McLaren team have been quick to condemn a "voodoo-style" website in Spain where hundreds of abusive messages have been posted.

"The Spanish government cannot stand back and allow this organised and systematic racism to continue," Labour MP Keith Vaz, chairman of the party's Ethnic Minority Taskforce, said. "I call upon the Foreign Secretary to make a formal protest to the Spanish government urging them to act on this serious issue."

Visitors to the site have been encouraged to drop imaginary nails, pins or porcupines on a mock-up of the Interlagos circuit.

The 23-year-old will take to the Sao Paulo circuit on Sunday for the Brazilian Grand Prix, needing only to finish in the top five to become the youngest champion in Formula One history.

Mr Vaz said it was clear that the website - named Pincha la Rueda de Hamilton, which translates as Burst Hamilton's Tyre - was set up to destabilise Hamilton before this weekend's race.

The FIA condemned the "abusive and hateful" comments left on the website, many of which refer to Hamilton's colour.

A notice on the website read: "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."