This week's Head in the Sand award goes to ...

Formula 1 honcho Bernie Ecclestone has a funny idea of what constitutes a sense of humor.

Lewis Hamilton, F1’s first black champion, has been the target of racial abuse on a Spanish Web site and of other insults on the run-up to Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix, but Ecclestone thinks it’s a laughing matter.

"[It was] probably beginning as a joke rather than anything abusive," Ecclestone told an interviewer. "I don't see why people should have been [insulted by it]. These things are people expressing themselves."

Not surprisingly, the target of the abuse disagrees. As does his father, Anthony, who said he had often considered withdrawing his son from the sport because of racism.

Back in February after similar incidents in Barcelona, Spain, Ecclestone sang the same song:

"I don't think we should even be talking about racism," Ecclestone said. "I really think that they are against Hamilton for his ability, not because he is black. I always thought it was a bit of a prank — they're probably not racist at all."