SHANGHAI, Oct 7, 2007 (AFP) - British driver Lewis Hamilton spun into the gravel at the start of the pit lane with 25 laps left to crash out of the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday.

It denied him the chance to win the world championships here, which now goes down to the final race of the season in Brazil.

The 22-year-old sensation, who was second at the time, needed to win the race or finish ahead of rivals Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen to claim the crown and become the youngest champion in history.

But in wet conditions and on a slippery track, he spun off on tyres that had lost their grip.

Raikkonen is currently first in the race and Alonso second.