It is the latest incident of racism that is threatening to seriously undermine Madrid's bid to follow London and host the 2016 Olympics.

 

The Spanish branch of New York-based advertising agency, TWBA, which is part of Omnicom has now closed down the site after hundreds of abusive messages about Hamilton were posted.

 

It comes as the British driver prepares for the final race of the Formula One season tomorrow at the Interlagos circuit in São Paulo where he only has to finish in the top five to become, at 23, the youngest ever world champion in the sport's history.

 

The site asked visitors to place virtual pins, nails and porcupines on a computer version of the Interlagos track to try to keep Formula One's first black driver from finishing tomorrow's decisive race.

 

Visitors were also also invited to "leave a message to Hamilton," and many of them are full of racism and obscenities.

 

Britain's Culture Secretary Andy Burnham led calls for action against the abuse which included comments such as "half breed" and the N-word.

 

Motorsport's world governing body FIA has already set up a campaign against racism in motorsport after Hamilton was subjected to similar abuse at a pre-season test day in Barcelona earlier in the year.

 

The British driver has been unpopular amongst some Spanish fans since his often fractious rivalry with Fernando Alonso at McLaren last season.

 

Last month Mercedes Coghen, the chief executive of Madrid 2016, admitted that racism in Spanish sport is a major concern and could scupper the their chances of beating rivals Chicago, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo to host the Olympics.

 

It followed a report published on insidethegames that England's football team is currently refusing to play an international friendly against European champions Spain in Madrid in 2009 because its players were racially abused during a match at Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium in 2004.

 

UEFA, football's governing body in Europe, had also ordered Atletico Madrid to play two Champions League home games at a neutral venue because of violent and racist behaviour by the club's fans during a match against Marseille earlier last month.

 

That decision was later changed on appeal.

 

Also, on the eve of the Olympics in Beijing, Spain's men's basketball team posed for a publicity photo where they used their fingers to apparently make their eyes look more Chinese.

 

That image emerged during the Beijing Games, and the photo continued to be used for publicity purposes in Spain long past the Olympics.