Former F1 racer, Nelson Piquet has created fresh controversy after using racist slurs against Lewis Hamilton
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.
Lewis Hamilton took to Twitter, demanding action against Piquet after the video went viral. “It’s more than language. These archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport. I’ve been surrounded by these attitudes and targeted my whole life. There has been plenty of time to learn. Time has come for action”, the 7-time World Champion wrote.
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”.
How has the F1 community reacted to the incident?
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.”
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.
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.”
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