Minders set up exclusion zone to protect Hamilton

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An exclusion zone has been set up around the Briton's hotel in Sao Paulo's Morumbi district with fans, reporters and staff being prevented from approaching the driver.

The move comes after more than 16,000 racist messages against Hamilton were posted on a Spanish website called "Burst Hamilton's Tyre". Supporters of local Ferrari star Felipe Massa are also believed to be ready to bombard Hamilton with nuisance phone calls at his hotel.

The 23-year-old needs to finish only fifth to be crowned world champion for the first time as he takes a seven-point lead over Massa, who expects Hamilton to get a rowdy reception from the 70,000 crowd, into the last race of the season.

Interest in the race is intense with touts charging £500 for £150 weekend tickets.

Massa, who used to watch races from the track as a boy, said: "Knowing the fans here, he will be taunted. It's natural the fans will be against him."

The weather is expected to be in Hamilton's favour. The Briton has proved his skills in the wet and forecasters are predicting a 70 per cent chance of rain.

But organisers say they have added grooves to parts of the 2.77-mile track to improve drainage.