Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc at the end of a qualifying session (Getty)
Lewis Hamilton was subjected to racial slurs by former F1 racer Nelson Piquet
Charles Leclerc has become the latest member of the F1 community to take a strong stand for Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton was the victim of racial slurs from former F1 racer, Nelson Piquet. The F1 community has collectively condemned Piquet’s statements.
Lewis Hamilton has demanded strict action against former F1 racer Nelson Piquet after a video surfaced on the internet where the Brazilian is seen using racial slurs against Hamilton.
Piquet was speaking in November last year to Motorsport Talk’s Ricardo Oliveira, in Portuguese, about Hamilton’s clash with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen at the British Grand Prix in 2021, which ended with the Dutch driver going off the track and suffering a major impact with the barriers. The Brazilian used a racist term in the interview, which was released publicly on Monday night.
The video of the interview was picked up by Brazilian media including CNN, which reported his words as he referred to the incident. It included an epithet that can be translated as the N-word. Piquet has a record of issuing unpleasant comments, including, while he was driving, a defamatory accusation toward Ayrton Senna of being gay and referring to Nigel Mansell’s wife as “ugly”.
F1, which has a clear anti-racist platform under the We Race As One banner, swiftly condemned Piquet.
In an official statement, F1 said – “Discriminatory or racist language is unacceptable in any form and has no part in society. Lewis is an incredible ambassador for our sport and deserves respect. His tireless efforts to increase diversity and inclusion are a lesson to many and something we are committed to at F1.”
Lewis Hamilton’s present F1 team, Mercedes condemned the remarks in its official statement – “We condemn in the strongest terms any use of racist or discriminatory language of any kind. Lewis has spearheaded our sport’s efforts to combat racism, and he is a true champion of diversity on and off track.”
F1’s governing body, the FIA, also criticised Piquet’s comments. “The FIA strongly condemns any racist or discriminatory language and behaviour, which have no place in sport or wider society. We express our solidarity with @LewisHamilton and fully support his commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in motor sport”, FIA wrote in its official statement.
Follow our dedicated Formula One page for instant Formula One news and updates