Formula One great Niki Lauda today wrote off Kimi Raikkonen's world title defence and predicted this year's championship will be a straight fight between Lewis Hamilton and European Grand Prix winner Felipe Massa.

Lauda, three times winner of the title, believes Raikkonen, Ferrari's No1 driver, has lost focus and has been overshadowed by his Brazilian team-mate, Massa.

He said: "The world championship is now Hamilton against Massa. Kimi's really not with it. Massa seems totally focused and motivated."

Lauda spoke out after watching Massa lead from pole position to finishing line in Valencia; his fourth win of the season. With six races to run Massa is now only six points behind Hamilton, who finished second in Sunday's race. Raikkonen, whose engine blew up, is 13 points adrift.

The Finn, who began his defence of the championship with 35 points from the opening five Grands Prix, has now gone eight races without a win.

By contrast, Hamilton has recovered from a mid-season blip. In the last four races he has won twice and amassed 32 points, which has stunned boss Ron Dennis who said: "If you take into account how little experience Lewis has had, that's the bit that gives him the edge.

"It doesn't mean to say he is particularly quicker than the others, it's just you have to take how long they have been involved in the sport as one of the values."

Raikkonen's lack of focus was evident in Valencia where he sped away away from a pit stop before refuelling had finished, bowling over mechanic Pietro Timpini who broke his foot.

But team principal Stefano Domenicali stood by him, saying: "We don't have any doubts about Kimi's performance."