Hamilton set to learn fate

Third-placed Vettel drove his Toro Rosso into the back of Webber's Red Bull, which was running second behind Hamilton, on lap 45 of the 67-lap race when the field was lined up behind a safety car deployed due to Fernando Alonso's crash three laps earlier.

Although the incident was missed by the television cameras, footage of the incident appeared on YouTube. It showed Hamilton pulling over to the right-hand side of the track and decelerating considerably prior to the collision, in turn forcing Webber to slow down and catching Vettel unawares.

It is believed F1 officials were alerted to the footage, which was later taken down from the video-sharing website.

If found guilty, Hamilton could lose the 10 championship points he earned for his victory in Japan, which would reduce his lead over nearest rival Alonso to just two points with two races to go.

But given the fact Vettel was handed a 10-place grid penalty for this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix for his part in the incident, a similar punishment would seem more likely for the Brit.

An FIA official said: "We understand the stewards of the meeting have received new evidence and are looking into the relevant matter.

"It would be inappropriate for us to comment any further at this stage, in particular as to what penalty, if any, might be imposed."

F1 regulations state the leader must keep a within five car lengths of the safety car, while erratic driving can also be punished.