Ecclestone: Racism talk is nonsense

A Spanish website, offering fans the chance to lay a virtual pin down on the track to puncture Hamilton's tyres, was shut down after it gained widespread media coverage for comments made about Hamilton.

But despite the furore surrounding that, and a pre-season incident during testing at Barcelona in Spain, Ecclestone thinks matters have been blown out of proportion.

"It's all nonsense. In Spain people supported Fernando Alonso and in Brazil they supported Felipe Massa," said Ecclestone in a radio interview with BBC Radio 5 Live. "I don't think it has anything to do with racism.

"There were a few people in Spain...and it was probably meant as a joke more than anything abusive. People look and read things into something that is not there.

"People are entitled to support who they want to support. When was he insulted? Do you remember the Ferrari guys that wore the red wigs when they went? People are [just] expressing themselves."

Ecclestone said even he was amazed by the finish to the F1 season in Brazil last weekend, where Hamilton grabbed the fifth spot he needed to clinch the crown at the penultimate corner.

"I'm emotionally detached from most things, but it was one of those things you couldn't believe," said Ecclestone. "It wasn't until the end that you'd realise who had won. You would have been sure Massa had won, but out of the blue came a super surprise.

"It was a pity they couldn't both win but the right guy did in the end. Lewis should have won it last year."