Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve feels Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa were harshly treated at the Japanese GP.

Hamilton ended up out of the points and after the race accused Massa of deliberately colliding with him in a separate incident.

Villeneuve, who won the title in 1997, told BBC Radio Five Live: "They have both been doing mistakes but you have to also say that the penalties they have been getting are a little bit surprising.

"It is really strange because once you start giving penalties away you have to give more and where do you cut the line?

"I think it is all right for drivers to try something and make a mistake and bad luck if it takes other drivers out with him.

"That is part of racing, as long as it wasn't dangerously done on purpose to take someone out."

Villeneuve famously withstood an attempt by Michael Schumacher to take him off the road to claim his world title at the European Grand Prix 11 years ago.

The Canadian, however, does not see any comparisons between that and last week's incident involving Massa and Hamilton.

He added: "No, nothing like that. They are racing hard, they were maybe a little bit aggressive but definitely not done on purpose.

"I wouldn't have been happy in his (Hamilton's) shoes but at the same time I'm sure he has done moves like that in his career.

"It is part of racing. We have all done those as racers, where you badly judge where you will end up."

As a result of events in Japan, however, Robert Kubica was able to pull himself back into the title race with two races to go.

The Pole remains the outsider, 12 points behind Hamilton and seven off Massa, but Villeneuve believes he is now the most deserving ahead of this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.

Villeneuve said: "It is exciting because there are three guys that can win it when we thought there would only be two.

"Massa and Hamilton have made mistakes which have allowed Kubica to come back and that makes it more exciting for everyone.

"The one who deserves it is Kubica. He has not been in as a good a car. He has made it with fewer mistakes, always getting the best points he can out of every race.

"He is definitely the one who deserves it."