Hamilton in the shadows as Vettel and Button shine

WHAT now for Lewis Hamilton? Once the golden boy of Formula One, the McLaren driver endured yet another miserable weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix as he was outshone once again by the two men he must measure himself again.

First there was German Sebastian Vettel, who won his second straight driver's title by finishing in third place at Susuka, prompting comparisons with F1 greats like Michael Schumacher.

The race itself was won by Jenson Button, Hamilton's team mate, who has completely outshone the 2008 world champion in recent weeks and is currently the only driver in the paddock who can hold a candle to Vettel.

It was not supposed to be this way for Hamilton. When he burst onto the scene in 2007 he was expected to rewrite the record books. Instead he has a solitary title and has become something of a whipping boy for the other drivers, a rogue pilot who does the sport more harm than good.

When Button joined the McLaren team for the 2010 there was a widespread expectation that Hamilton would blow him out of the water and expose him as a journeyman. Instead Button held his own in his first season at McLaren and 2011 looks like being the first year in which Hamilton has played second fiddle to his team mate.

Over the last five races Hamilton has scored 44 points. Vettel has managed 108, Button 101. Button is 32 points ahead of Hamilton with four races left.

Then there have been the crashes and criticism. The Briton was in the headlines yet again after another collision with Felipe Massa, and were it not for the exploits of Vettel and Button ahead of him Hamilton would once again be the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons.

The victory was a sweet one for Button, who has excelled in recent races. Last week the 31-year-old committed his future to McLaren and signed a "multi-year contract" believed to be worth as much as £50m. He also considers Japan to be his second home and his girlfriend, Jessica Michibata, comes from the country.

He also hailed the "phenomenal" Vettel, who has completely dominated the sport this season, winning nine out of 15 races and taking 12 pole positions. Hamilton was also gracious enough to salute the German. "It was perfection," admitted Hamilton. "It's a fantastic achievement." ·