formula 1
Piquet apologizes and rejects accusations of racism
Former Formula 1 driver Nelson Piquet. Photo: Janos Marjai/MTI/EPA//dpa/archive image
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Nelson Piquet racially insults Lewis Hamilton. The English superstar thinks it’s finally “time to act”. Piquet apologizes – and feels misinterpreted.
After his racist derailment against Lewis Hamilton, three-time world champion Nelson Piquet publicly apologized to the Formula 1 superstar.
However, the Brazilian rejected a racist background in a statement and sees himself misinterpreted by the media. As a consequence of the dispute, Piquet could be locked out of the Formula 1 paddock in the future.
“I apologize from the bottom of my heart to everyone involved, including Lewis who is an incredible driver, but the translation in some media that is now circulating on social media is incorrect,” said the statement, issued on behalf of Nelson Piquet was disseminated. “Discrimination has no place in Formula 1 or in society, and I’m happy to clarify my thoughts in this regard.”
Piquet rates his statement as “careless”
Statements from Piquet (69) from last year had previously appeared in which he had denigrated Hamilton (37) in an interview. “What I said was inadvertent and I’m not disputing it, but I want to clarify that the term used is one that has been widely and historically colloquially used in Brazilian Portuguese as a synonym for ‘guy’ or ‘person “is used and was never meant to be offensive,” it said.
«I would never use the word that I am accused of in some translations. I firmly reject any suggestion that I used the word with the aim of disparaging a driver because of the color of his skin,” Piquet said.
A crash at Silverstone provides the background
The background to Piquet’s derogatory statements was the accident between Mercedes driver Hamilton and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen at the Silverstone race a year ago. According to Piquet, a mistake by Hamilton was the reason. The previously leading Verstappen was eliminated, Hamilton won the Grand Prix despite a time penalty. Piquet is the father of Verstappen’s partner.
Above all, Formula 1 and the world automobile association Fia have condemned Nelson Piquet’s statements. It is reported that the Brazilian could be locked out of the paddock by Formula 1. In any case, 1996 World Champion Damon Hill, who is a TV pundit for Sky Sports F1, doesn’t think Piquet “would be very welcome if he showed up”.
Hamilton’s enough with discrimination
Hamilton tweeted after Piquet’s insult: “These are outdated views that need to change and have no place in our sport.” The seven-time world champion wrote that such attitudes surrounded him all his life and made him a target. «It was enough time to learn. Now is the time to act.”
Daniel Teixeira from the non-governmental organization Ceert said: “Due to the structural racism in our society, it is difficult for white people to see black people as equal. As Hamilton himself said, it’s not just about the language, it’s also about the mentality behind it, which is to reduce a person to the color of their skin.”
A year after the controversial incident between Hamilton and Verstappen at Silverstone, Formula 1 returns to the UK for the tenth round of the season this weekend.