THAT'S NOT WHO I AM ...
A teenage go-karting champ says a salute he made after winning a race this weekend was not intended to be an homage to Nazis -- and now, he's issuing an apology for the misunderstanding.
Artem Severiukhin -- a 15-year-old Russian racer -- made the gesture while on the podium following the FIA Karting European Championship in Portugal on Sunday ... and many were appalled, believing it was a Nazi salute.
But, in a video released on social media on Monday afternoon, Severiukhin says he was simply giving thanks to some of his supporters in the crowd with his chest taps and arm wave.