Fernando Alonso has taken back his radio comments aimed at Lewis Hamilton after the pair collided at the Belgian Grand Prix.

It felt like 2007 all over again as the double world champion called the Briton an "idiot" for pinching him on the apex of Les Combes on the opening lap.

The resulting contact popped the Mercedes into the air and landed with a 45G impact, forcing Hamilton to retire from the race and likely requiring a grid penalty this weekend at Zandvoort for new power unit components.

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Asked about Alonso's comments after the race, the seven-time world champion scoffed that "it was nice to know how he thinks about me".

But on Thursday, the Spaniard was in full defence mode as he spoke highly of his former McLaren teammate, albeit suggesting the matter had been blown up.

"First of all, Lewis is a champion, he's a legend of our time," he said.

"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 more serious.

"But anyway yes, I apologise. I was not thinking what I said.

"I don't think that there was much to blame at that moment, to be honest, looking at the replays and everything because it's a first-lap incident, we are all very close together."

In his radio message, Alonso also made the claim that Hamilton "only knows how to drive and start in first".

But again, the Alpine driver insisted that was not his genuine belief.

"No, no, no, I don't believe [that]. I mean, it's not that I believe or don't believe, there are facts that it is not that way," he said.

"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."

Hamilton also suggested Alonso's comments made him less likely to speak to Fernando about the incident, but the 41-year-old wants to clear the air.

"I will hopefully when we are doing the TV pen I will approach him and say sorry if he understood in that way," he stated. "I have absolutely no problems with him. And as I said, I have huge respect for him."