F1 | Hamilton, Alonso back off in war of words over Belgian GP crash

Mercedes' seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton and his one-time McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso crashed on the opening lap of the Belgian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso eased off to avoid a prolonged war of words on Monday following their acrimonious collision in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.

Mercedes' seven-time world champion and his one-time McLaren team-mate crashed on the opening lap with Hamilton forced to retire after an airborne ride over his rival's Alpine car. In the heat of the moment the veteran Spaniard blasted the British driver as "an idiot".

Hamilton revisited the incident on social media, writing: "First I want to apologise to my fans and especially those who came out to support me. After almost 30 years of racing, the feeling left from a mistake cuts just as deep as the first. My team, who work so hard, deserved more."

Alonso, 41, was also more composed in his comments after the race and distanced himself from the impact of his original outburst on team radio when he said: "What an idiot! Closing the door from the outside. I mean, we had a mega-start, but this guy only knows how to drive and start in first."

Hamilton accepted full blame for the collision but was clearly put out by Alonso's initial fury.

He suggested he had intended to speak to the Spaniard until he "heard what he said. I know that's how things feel in the heat of the moment, but it's nice to know how he feels about me".

Alonso admitted "I was angry", adding: "The radio, anyway, when you talk, you talk to your engineer and to your team.