Fernando Alonso has apologized for this radio rant on Lewis Hamilton in the wake of the pair's clash in last weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, but the Spaniard also accused the media for blowing his comments out of proportion.
Hamilton misjudged his entry into Les Combes on the second lap of the race and tagged Alonso's Alpine, which triggered an angry reaction from the latter who accused the Mercedes driver of being and idiot who can only win from the front.
Hamitlon, who suffered a DNF because of the incident while Alonso went on to finish fifth, owned up to his mistake.
Speaking ahead of this weekend's round of racing at Zandvoort, Alonso reiterated that his comments were expressed in the heat of the moment and did not reflect his true thoughts on Hamilton.
"First of all, Lewis is a champion, he's a legend of our time," said Alonso.
"And then when you say something - and I'm sorry to repeat this - against a British driver, there is huge media involvement after that.
"They've been saying a lot of things to Checo [Perez], to Carlos [Sainz], to me.
"If you say something to a Latin driver, everything's a little bit more fun. When you say something to others, it's a little bit more serious.
"But anyway yes, I apologise. I was not thinking what I said.
"I don't think that there was much to blame in that moment, to be honest, looking at the replays and everything, because it's a first-lap incident, we are all very close together."
Alonso also retracted his comment about Hamilton being a driver that can only win from the front.
"No, no, no, I don't believe [that]," he added. "I mean, it's not that I believe or don't believe, there are facts that it is not that way.
"So it's something that you say in the heat of the moment. But as I said, nothing that I said is true, or there are facts that are completely the opposite. So I have huge respect."
Alonso said that he would seek out Hamilton at some point this weekend at Zandvoort to make amends.
"I will hopefully when we are doing the TV pen, I will approach him and say sorry if he understood in that way," he said.
"I have absolutely no problems with him. And as I said, I have huge respect for him.
"The heat of the moment and the adrenaline of the moment, fighting for finally top two, top three, made me say those comments that I should not say.
"But at the same time, as I said also after the race, I said that it was a race incident in my opinion.
"When you say something on the radio, in that moment, you think that you are talking with your engineer, so you are preparing the strategy.
"Obviously, you should be aware that is broadcast. But it's like if someone makes a hard tackle or something in football, in that moment you say something to your teammate, or your defender or wherever, that is not broadcast."
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