Lewis Hamilton put himself at odds with Bernie Ecclestone today after the Formula One supremo rejected talk of racism in the sport and said recent controversies were "a joke".
Ecclestone told BBC radio that incidents in Spain and Brazil, where 23-year-old Hamilton became on Sunday the first black world champion as well as the youngest, had been blown out of proportion.
"In Spain people were supporting (Fernando) Alonso and in Sao Paulo they were supporting Felipe (Massa)," said the 78-year-old. "I don't think it has anything to do with racism.
"There were a few people in Spain...and that was probably taken at the beginning as a joke rather than anything abusive. People sort of look and read things into things that are not there.
"All of those things are all a bit of a joke. People are entitled to support who they want to support."
Hamilton, appearing at a promotional function for McLaren team sponsor Vodafone, saw it differently.
"I don't particularly look at it as a joke," he told reporters.
"It's something that's happened but it's in the past and you've got to look forward. What's most important for me is that I know I have a lot of support, especially from my UK fans.
"I go to all these countries and I do see my fellow-countrymen holding up the flag and it makes me very proud to see that. All the other stuff, you can put it behind you and forget about it."
Hamilton, who beat Ferrari's Brazilian Massa by a single point at Interlagos, was Spaniard Alonso's team mate and title rival at McLaren last season and the Briton has been the target of racial abuse from Spanish fans.
The governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) launched an anti-racism campaign after blacked-up spectators appeared at a test session in Barcelona in February, while others shouted abuse at the driver.
Another controversy erupted before last weekend's title-deciding race when British newspapers highlighted hundreds of hate messages posted on a Spanish website targeting the Briton.
Hamilton's father Anthony told reporters this week that the racial taunts and abuse had made him doubt whether his son should be competing in the sport.