Lewis Hamilton has spoken out about comments from three-time world champion Nelson Piquet, who used racially abusive language to refer to the Briton.
The 69-year-old Brazilian used a racially offensive expression in Portuguese, which is supposedly equivalent to the N-word in English.
Piquet, whose daughter Kelly Piquet is in a relationship with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, was on a Brazilian podcast in November last year talking about the 2021 British GP. The former world champion slammed at Hamilton’s driving at Silverstone, as he and the Dutchman collided in the explosive first slap.
Verstappen was rushed to the hospital after he was thrown through the barriers.
Piquet then blamed the Briton, who won his home race for the eighth time back then, referring to him with the derogatory term. He described the incident as “a joke” and used swear words to say that Hamilton had made a mistake.
The offensive comments have just come to light. In response, Hamilton wrote on Twitter: “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.”
Before Hamilton responded to Piquet’s comments, Formula One issued a statement in support of the eight-time champion, saying: “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,” the statement added
Hamilton’s Mercedes team also issued a statement criticizing the three-time world championship winner. It said it condemned “in the strongest terms” any use of racist or discriminatory language.
“Lewis has spearheaded our sport’s efforts to combat racism, and he is a true champion of diversity on and off track. Together, we share a vision for a diverse and inclusive motorsport, and this incident underlines the fundamental importance of continuing to strive for a brighter future,” the Mercedes team added.
Outraged fans have called on F1 to ban Piquet from future events but there are still no hints that the organization will take action against the veteran pilot.
