Heifeld distraught

BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld lamented the worst race of his life on Sunday after a last lap collision robbed him of a likely fourth place in the Chinese Grand Prix.

A BMW statement said he had been "the victim of dubious manoeuvres".

"This was the most disappointing race of my career – not only in Formula One but in my entire life," said the seventh-placed German.

"Right up to the end I was certain I would be fourth, but then a few backmarkers caused trouble.

"The first one was (Spyker MF1's Christijan) Albers, who stayed on the dry line and didn't let me pass. I had to brake on the wet, almost spun, went on the grass and lost a few seconds," said Heidfeld.

He said Super Aguri's Japanese driver Takuma Sato, whose car has a Honda engine, then blocked him for the best part of a lap and allowed Honda's Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello to catch him.

"Barrichello crashed into the back of me and after this I had to be happy to make it to the finish," said Heidfeld.

"Before all this happened I was very quick today." Button finished fourth, Barrichello sixth. Race stewards summoned Heidfeld, Barrichello and Albers after the race.

Barrichello said Heidfeld had swerved into him while trying to avoid the backmarkers, damaging the Honda's front wing.

Honda rejected any suggestion of collusion between them and Super Aguri.

"It's a ludicrous suggestion, to think we had time to do and to think that is complete rubbish," said team boss Nick Fry.