Williams' championship contender Juan Pablo Montoya was forced to take a costly time penalty in the U.S. Grand Prix today after Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello spun out after a clash with the Colombian.
The race stewards launched an immediate investigation into the incident and forced Montoya to take a time penalty which he took driving through the pits.
He also added fuel but dropped well down the field and was lapped by early race leader Jenson Button of BAR. At that stage he was 11th after 24 laps of the 73-lap race.
Montoya lay second, three points behind leader Michael Schumacher in the championship before the race started and with only one race to go after this, the German's prospects of a record-breaking sixth title looked bright as he moved up to third.
The departure of last year's race winner Barrichello, though, after two laps was a blow for Ferrari's constructors' title hopes. The Italian team are four points behind Williams with one race remaining in Japan.
Barrichello had started on the front row but was behind Schumacher by the end of the first lap, with McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen leading.
The Brazilian, sixth in the championship before Sunday's race, went out into the gravel trap, rear wheels spinning uselessly.
Schumacher has 82 points, Montoya 79 and Raikkonen 75 in the closest title battle in years.