Sir Lewis Hamilton did not have any interest in hearing what Fernando Alonso had to say in the aftermath of their incident at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Alonso and Hamilton started third and fourth, respectively, after penalties for Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Esteban Ocon had bumped them up the order from qualifying.
Alonso passed Sergio Perez off the start, but both Mercedes cars got a great start too, with Hamilton and George Russell both challenging going into Turn One.
The Spaniard endeavoured to get back up the inside going into Le Combes, but Hamilton moved across and the pair made contact on the apex.
READ: Fernando Alonso insults Lewis Hamilton in fiery rant
The seven-time champion retired from the race as a result, while Alonso went on to finish fifth ahead of Leclerc.
After he had returned to the paddock, the 37-year-old held his hands up and accepted that he was at fault for the collision.
“Looking back at the footage, he was in my blind spot and I didn’t leave him any space so it was my fault today,” a candid Hamilton told Sky Sports.
“Just so sorry to the team.”
Alonso made a remark over the radio that his former McLaren team-mate was only capable of driving at the front – a comment that was made in the heat of the moment.
Rachel Brookes was about to go over the radio chatter with Hamilton, but he insisted that it was of no importance to him what the double world champion had said.
“It doesn’t really matter what he said, I don’t really care” he affirmed.
READ: ‘It hurts me’: Lewis Hamilton opens up at 2022 Belgian Grand
“Like I said, it was my fault, I couldn’t see him actually, so he was like right in my blind spot, it happens.”
The Dutch Grand Prix follows Spa next weekend, and Hamilton has a simple but effective plan between now and then.
“Just recuperate, get back on the treadmill,” he said.
Hamilton’s non-finish in Spa was his first of the season, while Verstappen went on to win the race from team-mate Sergio Perez.
The Mexican’s result moves him up to second in the championship above Leclerc, who finished sixth behind Alonso, so Verstappen now has a 93-point lead in the standings.
Carlos Sainz’s third-placed finished was a crumb of comfort for the Scuderia, who now trail Red Bull by 118 points in the teams’ battle.